Tangled Strings of Red
by BeyondMyReach
Summary: Hiei is the ruler of the Underworld, Kurama is the god of life, and Yusuke is just a dying mortal that's unfortunately stuck between the two. Work-In-Progress.
1. Fate

Hiei stepped through the threshold and a heavy smell of sweat, blood, and more importantly, impending death hit him. A sardonic smirk curled his lips as he surveyed the scene before him. A woman was in the process of giving birth.

How unfortunate, he thought dispassionately, that death would grace her child instead. He could already feel the wheels of fate moving, quicker and quicker as the hour approach. The child was going to be a stillborn and it'll enter his realm. That much, the ruler of Underworld was certain.

Except it was as Botan had said. The soul of the child was unusually stubborn, unusual because it should have no reason to be willful about leaving a world it has never even entered, and therefore, didn't have any attachment to.

So what was this? Each time Hiei thought the soul was at the verge of letting go, it would quickly prove him wrong by annoyingly latching on once again. An hour had passed already. The wasted time was nothing to an immortal god, but the soul was quickly proving itself to be a nuisance.

The stench of death filled the dingy house as more time passed and Hiei got more and more annoyed. As a result, the midwife and the woman giving birth also appeared more and more fearful. They cannot see him, not unless he willed it, but even mortals can sense death perfectly.

Hiei shifted as he became aware of a change in the infant's soul. A glance told him that the child's body was out, but from the midwife's frantic movement of the child - the _silent _child- it seemed like it wasn't breathing.

Its hold on the living world slackened.

Finally, Hiei thought, approaching the child. He had waited long enough. So it wanted to see the world before leaving, huh. Hiei extended an arm out, ready to help the child along its way, to bring it to where it was fated to be, even if it was delayed for _weeks. _That unusual occurrence, plus the fact that Hiei was undeniable bored, was the only reason why he was doing the work a grunt of the Underworld would normally do: collecting dead souls.

Hiei was ready to call the job done when the strangest thing happen. The infant's eyes, glassy and welled with tears, abruptly landed on Hiei, as though it was actually seeing him instead of looking through him, even though Hiei should have been invisible to mortals' eyes. Surprised, Hiei's hand stopped mere inches away from touching the infant's soul and the two of them locked gaze for a moment.

Hiei felt it before hearing it.

He felt the soul, inches away from his finger, tremor and saw the infant's lips quiver, shaking almost violently. Those lips parted then, and for a beat, there was silence. Then, a loud cry rang throughout the room as liquid spew from the child's mouth. Hiei watched in shock as the midwife smiled, congratulating the mother over the cries of the infant and how glad she was that the child coughed out the liquid in his lungs so it could breath and how even a moment later may have resulted in undesirable consequences.

She went on rambling about something else, but Hiei could no longer hear her. His attention was entirely focused on the bawling child, whose pitch just seemed to rise with every cry, signaling it was undeniably _alive_.

What. Was. Going. On?

The wheel of fate was turning then, and undoubtedly changing. Hiei could already feel the child's soul stabling, its life extending because it somehow saw Hiei, which sent it in a fit of tears and in any other situation Hiei would have blatantly ignored it except _didn't it mean that Hiei unintentionally saved the child's life_? And that, Hiei wouldn't accept.

Hiei took a menacing step forward, and as though the child recognized the ruler of Underworld's intention, it redoubled its tears and volume. The women in the room took turns cooing at the child, trying to calm it down but Hiei could hardly care. The child needed to die, was fated to die, and fuck Genkai for suddenly changing her mind. Just because she was Lady Fate didn't mean that she could do whatever she wanted.

Except that she could, and she already did. Hiei's expression turned furious as he felt a string of his soul, untouched until then, was tied to another's. Both strings were equally red [1]. Following the line of the becoming-invisible red strings, Hiei's dark eyes met the infant. Enraged wouldn't have been nearly enough to describe what Hiei was feeling then. He would have gladly killed the infant right there and then, rules or not because he was the ruler of the Underworld and very few was willing to cross him, but the entangled strings were already taking effect.

Any ill feelings Hiei held towards the infant was quickly evaporating, leaving behind nothing more than an empty cask readied to be fulled with love.

Love. Hiei scoffed at the thought with more than just a little bitterness. Only fools love, and string or no string, Hiei would not be the fool to experience it yet again.

Hiei swept out of the little house, and if his sneer became a little more prominent at the thought of anyone growing up there, and if his eyes became somewhat softer as he gazed one last time at the infant who's mother Hiei coincidently overheard named him Yusuke, it was surely only because of his immortal condescension and nothing else.

* * *

[1] Red String - Also known as Red Thread of Fate. Those connected by this string are said to be soul-mates.

Thank you for reading! It has been a while since I've written (wow, more than half-a-year since Little Things) and I'm afraid I've gotten rusty.

Warnings: There may be ooc, slow updates, boys love, similarities (but _not e__xactly the same) _to Greek mythology and gods, changing POV, unusual writing style, pairings that will be revealed as the story goes, slow moving plot, and a story that occurs within the span of two to three days.

If at any point of the story you feel like I'm wasting the potential of the idea with my execution, please feel free to take this idea and rewrite it to your own liking. I also welcome anyone to take a look at my profile's idea and make a story out of any one of them, as long as it is properly credited and I'm told of the story name so I can seek it out and read it.


	2. The Meeting

People are dying, Kurama thought, gazing down ahead from the hilltop. Battles were fought, blood were spilled, lives were lost, and still, the war will rage on. How typical of the mortals.

Kurama hunched forward, wrapping his arms around himself, shuddering ever slightly as he sensed yet a batch of souls leave their body and entering the realm of the dead. Hiei's realm.

Kurama's lips curled wryly even as he internally frowned at his weakness. As the god of life, as some had considered him, it was inevitable that he would be affected by the massive number of souls departing, but it was no excuse for the extent which it affected him.

Was it as he thought, that the time he spent with Hiei influenced his essence as a god, that the ruler of the Underworld had tainted the core of the god of the living? There was absolutely no other reason for how in tune he was with the departure of the souls. If Kurama wished, he could calculate the number of lives lost within a mile without ever needing to exert himself by purposely extending his senses. That was not an ability of the god of life; it was that of the dead.

Kurama shook his head as the thought entered his mind. He shouldn't dwell on that any longer. Hadn't he done that enough for the past few years already? It was time to move on.

As Kurama made a move to do exactly as he said, a soul, brighter and more willful than any other he had ever seen, flashed across his mind. Kurama reached out for the soul without a second thought, extending his power, and was forced to let go at the sheer brightness of the soul, brilliant and dying in the way only a mortal's soul can be.

Kurama was standing up right in seconds, eyes quickly scanning the battlefield below. He knew without a doubt that he needed to save that soul, rules be damned.

Where was it?

xxx

"Damn it, Urameshi! Don't you DARE die on me! I promised your ma that I'll bring you back alive!" Kazuma exclaimed. He angrily swiped at his eyes with his hand, even as he kept the other hand on his best friend's stomach, trying in vain to cover the gaping hole with a torn sleeve. His hand was covered in Urameshi's blood.

Urameshi attempted at a smirk and half succeeded, along with a pained grimace. "Y-you should have known better than to p-promise that, fucktard." There was no heat in the insult. He tilted his head to the side, looking far away, and this time, truly smirked. His eyes landed back on Kazuma. "Tell ma I got the fucker, alright?"

"Tell her yourself. I'm not your messenger!" He could feel his front breaking as his friend's life bleed out before his eyes. "Y-you're going to be fine, you hear me?! Yukina's gonna come and f-fix you right up. Then... then..." Tears dripped down his face as he bowed his head, knowing in truth nothing could be done for his friend. Not anymore.

Someone landed behind him, and Kazuma immediately spun his head around, his body tense and ready to fight even when he was torn with grief and knew there wasn't much of a chance with Uramshi's head on his lap. Kazuma absolutely refuse to leave his side, though, not if there was a possibility that Urameshi would die alone while he fought.

The stranger looked taken back by his reaction, but a quick glance at Urameshi steeled his expression. He took a step forward.

Kazuma bunched up and raised his fist, but the red-haired man didn't even pay attention it. He keeled beside Urameshi, placing a hand a few inches over his chest.

"What-?!" Kazuma looked at Urameshi, hoping for some kind of hint, but his eyes were already becoming glassy. Goddamnit! He spent too much time on the stranger. If he missed Urameshi's last words because of that... Kazuma didn't think he could ever forgive himself.

...Was it just him, or was Urameshi's breathing getting less shallow, like he wasn't struggling to breath as much? Kazuma looked at the stranger's face, eyebrows scrunched up in concentration. "Who...?"

The other man pressed his lips to a thin line. "I suggest getting a certified medic here. I don't have the power to heal the wound."

But, Kazuma wanted to argue, isn't he getting better? Except he didn't want to waste any time. He didn't know the stranger, didn't have any reason to trust him, but he was helping Urameshi, that much he knew, and that was enough. Kazuma carefully placed Urameshi's head down, and, with groundless confidence, went without a second glance back.

Besides, his sixth sense, the one that tells him whenever a supernatural being was near, was tingling.

xxx

Yusuke hissed. He felt as though he had been dunked under water for god-knows-how-long, successfully escaped to the surface, only was pulled back into the miserable water after a breath of air. What was the big idea here? Can't a man die without first being tortured?

His body burned, especially his stomach. Fuck. Yusuke instinctively struggled to escape the pain, to reach for the metaphoric air again, only to feel a literal tug at his soul that refused to let him go. Who was the goddamn bastard that was doing that?

Yusuke didn't realize he spoke aloud until he heard a somewhat strained chuckle. "It seems like you won't die yet, if you're cursing up a storm already." Yusuke automatically tensed at the unfamiliar voice and tried to get up, reacting to months of finely tuned reflexes on the battlefield. "Ah, don't m-"

"Motherfucker!" Yusuke sworn loudly as pain flared at his stomach, his hand automatically going to the injured area. It came away coated with blood. Yusuke stared at it incredulously, and then down at the ground he was laying on. It was soaked with his own blood. His lips suddenly felt really dry. "Shouldn't I be, I dunno, dead by now?"

The red-haired man (definitely a man. There was no way a lady's chest was that flat, Yusuke thought, even if he got the looks) raised an elegant eyebrow. "Should you really be asking someone you previously thought, and most likely still think, of as the enemy such question?"

Yusuke shrugged as he relaxed. "If you're the enemy, you would have probably killed me by now. Since you didn't..." Yusuke shrugged again, not needing to explain the rest.

"Logical," the other man conceded with the tilt of his head. His red hair swayed to the side, enabling Yusuke to see that it was waist length. "But," his eyes twinkled, "what if I wanted to take you prisoner?"

Yusuke blinked, never really considering that. "Well," Yusuke drawled out. "Sorry, or not so sorry to say, but you're out of luck. The higher ups never tell the grunts anything." Yusuke settled his head back in a more comfortable manner with a scoff, before a thought occurred to him. "Hey, where's Kuwabara?"

"That's the orange-haired man, correct?" The redhead questioned. Yusuke nodded. "He went to fetch you a doctor."

"So I'm not going to die any time sooner, huh?"

An amuse smile formed on the other man's face. "Do you _wish _to die?"

Yusuke was silent for a moment, before finally answering. "Nah, not really." His eyes sought the other man's. "So, what's your name? I've been calling you pretty-boy inside my head for a while," Yusuke lied.

"Kurama," the other man answered after a beat, showing he didn't miss Yusuke's sudden change of subject. "And yours?"

"Yusuke Urameshi at your service," he introduced, throwing in a cocky grin as well. His eyes then caught the other man's red hair and something occurred to him.

"Kurama," he murmured, rolling on his tongue the familiar sounding name. "Kurama as in the god of life Kurama?"

"Yes," Kurama replied.

"Cool." Yusuke hesitated for a moment, but seeing as Kurama wasn't about the fill in the silence and he did wanted to talk about this, Yusuke plunged on. "Hey, Kurama, have you ever felt how it was like to die?"


	3. The Underworld

Sixteen Years Ago...

"What do you hope to accomplish, woman?"

The statue of the younger self of Genkai cracked an eye open. "You're disturbing my mediation, idiot." A transparent figure rose from the solid statue, revealing the goddess of Fate. Genkai stepped down from the platform the statue was on. "What do you want?"

"That's what I should asking, but I'm not interested in your schemes." Hiei crossed his arms. "Undo it."

"No." Hiei's eyes widen slightly at the abrupt response, before narrowing once again. He should have expected that. "What is the point of Lady Fate if I undo something every time someone asks me to?" Genkai questioned, raising an eyebrow and daring him to answer.

"I could careless about your duties."

"Unless it concerns you, of course."

There was a moment of silence, where both parties acknowledge the truth in the other's words. Surprisingly, it was Genkai who first broke it.

"Return to your realm, Hiei," Genkai said, her voice lacking the authority to make it a command. "You and I both know I'm not going to back down from this."

Hiei snorted, uncrossing his arms at last. "You never do."

Genkai raised the other eyebrow. "Didn't think you cared enough to keep track."

Hiei turned and walked towards the door. "I don't."

Then, he was gone.

xxx

Present:

"Botan," Hiei said, an unmistakably ring of command in his voice. The blue-haired ferry girl shimmered into visibility.

She bowed. "Yes, Lord Hiei?"

Hiei scoffed. "Spare me the formalities, Botan. You've been keeping track of him, haven't you?"

Botan bounced up from her half-bow, whatever reserve she previously held now gone. She smiled. "You're talking about Yusuke, sir?"

Hiei sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, him. His soul has unfastened from his body, but for whatever reason, it still haven't arrived in the Underworld. Go see what's the matter."

Botan blinked in surprised. "I didn't realize you could sense him through the bond."

"Only his life and death status." Hiei shook his head. "Honestly, I'm surprised it took him this long to die, with the fool's soul wavering and teetering towards death at least once a month in mortal measurements."

Botan summoned her oar with the wave of her hand, and got on. With one hand on the oar, she brought the other to cover her mouth, hiding a mischievous smile. "You sound quite fond, Lord Hiei."

Hiei instantly snapped his head up. "Botan," he growled warningly, but she wasn't known for the fasting ferry girl in the Underworld for nothing. She was already exiting the realm, and so only the sound of her girlish giggles remained, trailing behind her.

xxx

Botan hummed brightly as entered the living world, a smile spreading across her face. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright sun. No matter how many times she came up to the world of living, she would never stop admiring it, not when it contrast the Underworld so much.

Slipping a hand into the folds of her robe, Botan brought out the Book of To-Be-Collected. It was basically a Book containing a list of souls that left their body. As the souls enter the Underworld one by one, their names would disappear from the book, entering another Book in the Underworld. Ferry girls use the Book to determine the location of the souls that, for one reason or another, did not enter the Underworld even though they were dead.

"Yusuke, Yusuke, Yusuke..." Botan trailed off as she glide her hand down the list, looking for the ruler of Underworld's fated one.

Not many people knew, but when Yusuke was young, Lord Hiei accidentally saved Yusuke's life. After that, Fate bounded the two together, although Lord Hiei never once sought Yusuke out. Botan had asked why, once in the past, and recalled how Lord Hiei stared at her for a long while, before saying: "Fated one or not, he is still human. It's not the time yet."

Botan privately thought it was also because of Lord Kurama and his betrayal, but wisely didn't say anything. She knew Lord Hiei didn't like people interfering, so she tried her best not to, especially since he trusted her enough to tell her these things. It didn't mean she wouldn't try to do something, though, such as keeping track of Yusuke's life and reporting back to Lord Hiei. It was only a matter of time, after all, until Yusuke would leave the living world and enter the Underworld. When that happens, she wanted them to find happiness, since they're bounded together either way.

"Found it~!" Botan smiled happily, pressing her fingers against the name Yusuke Urameshi in the Book. A flow of power left through her finger, and the wind began to pick up, swirling around her. A second later, not a trace of the ferry girl remained.


	4. Tug-of-War

"Hey, Kurama, have you ever felt how it was like to die?"

It wasn't often that Kurama was ever confused. In fact, he prided himself on being updated with news regarding both the immortals and mortals, just to be sure that he wouldn't be caught off guard. Nothing unnerved him more than not knowing something. Yet, all it took was that one line from the mortal man for Kurama to be unwound.

Reminded of another man whom, too, had that affect on him, Kurama let out a laugh tinged with bitter amusement, "Yusuke, you're quite the straight forward man." A hand brushed up against Yusuke's face, following the line of his jaw. Kurama could see the questions building behind Yusuke's brown eyes, just waiting to be voiced. If it was _him_, he would have knocked Kurama's hand away already, demanding an explanation for the change of tone and intention in his touch.

_Straight forward, they both are,_ Kurama thought, lowering his head towards Yusuke. Kurama could see understanding dawning on him just before their lips met. _Hiei just more so. _Yusuke's arms weakly raised and carefully pushed him away.

"I think you're kissing the wrong person, man."

Kurama raised an eyebrow, acting perfectly normal, despite not knowing what did he exactly want to prove with that kiss. "Oh?" Kurama deliberate racked his eyes down Yusuke figure and up again. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Yusuke."

Surprisingly, Yusuke rolled his eyes. "You don't give me enough credit, Kurama. I kissed enough people to know when they are really kissing the person in front of them, and when they are kissing just for the sake of it."

Kurama's voice turned cold. "And you assume you know me well enough to believe I'm in the latter category."

"I _heard_ about you enough to _know_ that you and Hiei have unresolved business, and should really be not kissing me."

Kurama's eyes flew open, landing on Yusuke and staying there for a long while. He knew he should answer quickly if he didn't want Yusuke to misunderstand, except Yusuke had said that in such a matter-of-fact manner that Kurama was half convinced it _was_ true. It wasn't. If it was, thirty years ago, Kurama wouldn't have ran out on Hiei. The god of life feared death too much, loved his own life too much, to ever love the god of the Underworld, the only possible person speculated to ever be able to bring death to the immortals.

Kurama's grip on Yusuke's soul slipped, and the soul slowly began to be afloat again.

xxx

A familiar feeling tugged at his naval. It took Yusuke a second to recall what that meant. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

Yusuke's soul scrabbled to get a hold of his body, letting out a metaphoric sigh of relief when he did manage. Reminder: Never say anything shocking to the person who literally hold your life in his hand.

Yusuke glanced up to ask Kurama what was the big idea, except Yusuke suddenly felt like he had just gotten a hangover in the span of two seconds. His vision spun and blur, his breathing got heavier, and he felt nausea.

_painpainpainpainwhydidtheshockhavetowearoffnow?_

Elsewhere, beautiful and peaceful rest beckoned him. Yusuke hesitated for a moment, considering. What was he fighting for? He had done enough, hadn't he? No one was in danger as of now, and there was no way a grunt could stop a war. Ma and Keiko would be fine. They are strong women. Kuwabara would take care of them for him and vice versa. He wasn't needed. Yusuke wasn't needed.

Yusuke let go.

_I guess I'll meet Hiei now._

xxx

"Kurama-san!"

Kurama snapped out of whatever trance he was in, and instinctively grabbed on to the escaping soul.

xxx

Yukina's heart pounded loudly against her chest, as she watched one of her dearest friend's soul nearly escape its body. She hurried over to Yusuke's side, Kazuma trailing behind her.

When Kazuma arrived in a hurry, explaining the situation to Yukina, Yukina was so afraid. She was afraid for Yusuke, afraid for Keiko, and afraid for Kazuma. Most of all, however, she was afraid that she wouldn't make it on time.

While she was Yusuke's friend, she was also a medic and this was the battlefield. As a medic, she had the responsibility to not be bias when it came to her patients, and as she hurried to Yusuke's location with Kazuma's directions, she also stopped to help other soldiers. Yukina knew Kazuma wanted to hurry her along, wanted her to stop pausing along the way and just go straight to Yusuke, but she also knew his heart was just as soft as hers. That was one of the reasons why Yusuke teased Kazuma so much, and one of the points Yukina loved about Kazuma. Kazuma may look tough, but he was also undeniably caring and his heart, big and encompassing.

Yukina feared the impact it would have on Kazuma if she didn't make it on time. She feared that he would blame himself for his best friend's death, and Yukina would be powerless to stop him.

This fear only ebbed slightly when Kazuma told her about this mysterious red-haired stranger who appeared to help anchor Yusuke's soul to the living world, and how he had this strange feeling when he was around the stranger. _It's the same feeling I get around you_, Yukina recalled Kazuma saying. _Except I don't love him, of course,_ he hurriedly explained when he realized how it sounded.

Yukina internally smiled softly at the recollection of Kazuma's awkward, yet endearing expression of love, before reminding herself it wasn't the time was that. She realized the stranger was a god when Kazuma told her about this feeling of his. He always was more aware of the supernatural than any other mortal. With the combination of the stranger's physical description and his ability to keep Yusuke's soul hanging in there, she suspected it was Kurama-san.

She turned out to be correct.

xxx

Kazuma hated war. When war came to their doorsteps demanding their participation sometime after their sixteenth birthdays, Urameshi accepted it with a joking smile and vague annoyance that stemmed from his inborn dislike for authority.

The draft didn't come as a surprise. They had seen it coming. More than anything, it was Urameshi's reaction that disturbed Kazuma the most.

Urameshi never once expressed any fear for his life.

Kazuma knew Urameshi wasn't being naive about war, knew he didn't think it was all fun and games. Urameshi's father died in the war, several months before Yusuke was born. Kazuma's own father received a crippling injury sixth months ago, and now can never walk again.

The future was bleak, the war didn't seem to be ending any time sooner. Urameshi knew that, and was losing hope. He was losing hope since the beginning, back when he was old enough to realize the cause of his fatherless situation, why it was mostly woman that was home, and why parents grow grim as males of their village edge towards the age of sixteen. He and Urameshi grew up watching families and loved ones get torn apart by war, and fall to sleep listening to the people's cries as lullabies.

Kazuma grew optimistic to give the people hope and Urameshi... Urameshi gave up and walked away.

"Live your life while you can, Kazuma," Urameshi told him once, back when Kazuma was the fourteen year old who had fallen in love at first sight with gentle Yukina, and admitted it after some goading from Urameshi. Urameshi had merciless mocked him for such a school girl notion, until Kazuma finally had enough and expressed his seriousness. Kazuma honestly thought Urameshi would never take him seriously, which was why it was such a surprise when Urameshi unexpectedly stopped the teasing.

"Then go for it," Urameshi simply said. "What are you waiting for? Until you're eighty-five and can't get it up?" He walked up to Kazuma before he could voice his complaints, stopping when they were standing side to side but facing opposite directions. Urameshi looked on ahead. "Live your life while you can, Kazuma, and don't leave behind any regrets." Then, Urameshi promptly slapped his back and walked away.

Kazuma was so stupefied that it took him a few moments to swirl around with a remark on the tip of his tongue. When his eyes landed on Urameshi's retreating back, however, Kazuma found whatever he was about to say withered and died. From the back and with his cocky attitude out of sight, Yusuke Urameshi never looked more of a defeated man without a purpose in life.

In that moment, Kazuma thought of their impeding participation in the war, and never hoped as desperately that it would end before it came down to that. Kazuma was fearful of death, yes, but he was more afraid for Yusuke. He knew Urameshi was a capable fighter and his pride would not allow him to suicide, but when the time comes for Urameshi to go, Kazuma didn't think he would fight it either.

_Well,_ Kazuma thought, glancing at Urameshi's pale form. His eyes darted briefly to Yukina and the red-haired stranger Kurama, right before his sixth sense began to tickle. Kazuma slid into his fighting position and stared up. _If you're not going to fight for your life, then we'll just have to fight for you. Come back here alive_, Kazuma's vision blurred_, you bastard._


	5. The Dream Room

Botan opened her eyes as the wind slowly died down, knowing she was then in a completely different place. She blinked at the battlefield below, and could sense numerous of souls in her surrounding leaving their body. They weren't her concern at the moment however. Botan looked directly below her, and found herself staring into the face of an orange-haired man. He was staring belligerently at the air before him, like he was ready to fight at any moment. Yes, staring at the air before him, right at... Botan's spot.

No way, Botan thought, waving away the notion the moment it came into mind. At the moment, Botan was invisible to mortals. Just to make sure, Botan inwardly checked her control, and yes, it was still in place. There was no way the mortal could see her.

Just to make her point, Botan inched her oar a little to the side. See, his gaze was not following. He was just admiring the beautiful sky...

The mortal's eyes shifted right back to Botan.

Botan laughed nervously. _I'm thinking too much. I should just collect Yusuke's soul..._

Botan urged her oar down so it was heading to Yusuke's body, and that was when she noticed the other two beings by his side. The other two immortals.

Botan gasped and almost fell off her oar when the mortal sudden appeared before her, blocking her way to Yusuke.

Ow, ow, ow, Botan thought inwardly. How embarrassing. If she had fallen off, she would not be able to face her fellow ferry friends when she returned to the Underworld. She had been working as a ferry girl too long to fall off her oar like a newbie. But what was two immortals doing here?

Botan inched her oar a little closer to see what they were doing, before a loud, booming voice startled her.

"Hey! Stop right there!" There was no mistaking it. The mortal was pointing right at Botan. "You're here to collect Urameshi's soul right? Well, you'll have to go through me."

One of the immortals looked up and Botan instantly recognized him. She should have realized the moment she spotted those red locks. "Kuwabara, seeing as she is an ferry girl, she can go right through you," Lord Kurama said, appearing somewhat amused.

Kuwabara appeared floored for a moment, with a red spot coloring each his cheek, before he threw up his hands. "Whatever!" He whirled back on Botan. "Either way, you're not getting Urameshi's soul."

Botan swallowed, unused to being addressed directly by the 'deceased's' acquaintances and acutely uncomfortable by Lord Kurama's presence. "Now, now, please, calm down," Botan began with what she hoped was an reassuring smile. She had no idea how the mortal could see her, but clearly he was aware of her presence. "It's unfortunate, but Yusuke Uramehsi was scheduled to die. You-"

"Bullshit," Kuwabara interrupted as Botan realized sometime during Kuwabara's and her conversation, Lord Kurama, the god of life, had resumed back to his task of anchoring Yusuke's soul. It was the other immortal that rose her head now, revealing herself to be Lady Yukina, the goddess of herbs and remedies. Lady Yukina glanced over at Kuwabara with a soft frown, and Kuwabara immediately snapped his mouth, cutting short of whatever he was about to say. Botan would have inwardly cheered, if only she didn't realize something at the moment.

Botan bemoaned inwardly, looking over at the three beings that stood in her way of collecting Yusuke's soul. At this rate, they might actually have a chance of saving Yusuke. Lord Kurama, using his power as the god of life, can keep Yusuke's soul from wandering, while Lady Yukina would heal the body itself so it may contain the soul again. Kuwabara was doing a fantastic job of distracting Botan and buying the immortals time to help Yusuke.

Botan had to do something before they succeed.

"Please," Botan tried, addressing Lady Yukina this time. "As a goddess, you have to know that mortal's time are short. Even if you save him this time, he will still somehow go. We cannot deny Fate."

Lady Yukina looked at Botan for a long while, her lips pressed thin, until Lord Kurama called her name. "Yukina, Yusuke's condition."

Lady Yukina hurriedly glanced down, check Yusuke's condition, before choosing a vital from her basket. She spoke softly as she applied the potion. "Even so, ferry-san, I wish Yusuke's life would not be tragically cut short. Although it may be Fate, Fate sometimes can be denied." Lady Yukina looked up momentarily. "Especially when regarding life and death."

Botan understood, and shook her head. "Lord Hiei wouldn't make an exception for just one soul," she said, except she wasn't confident. Lord Hiei wasn't predictable when it came to matters regarding his soul-mate, as far as she could see. Lady Yukina couldn't have known Yusuke was Lord Hiei's soul-mate though, could she have? Very few people knew and she highly doubted Lord Hiei would tell Lady Yukina, whom Lord Hiei rarely speaks to.

Lord Kurama seemed to have picked up on her uncertainty. His voice was wry and somewhat bitter as he spoke his next words, "You should ask him first, ferry-san." He didn't look up at all, and Botan wondered what happened for the god of life to change from amused to bitter so quickly.

Botan looked over at the beings before her, from the mortal to the god of life to the goddess of herbs and remedies. How often was it that different beings would unit for a single purpose? It was a miracle.

Botan swallowed and slowly slid her communication mirror out, hoping another miracle could occur, and dialed.

xxx

Yusuke was floating and felt as though he was in heaven, if heaven actually torture its souls by poking at them violently every time they relax. There was more peace here than any other times Yusuke had ever experienced in the living world, though, yet there was some part of him that would not let go.

"What the fuck," Yusuke murmured as he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times in bemusement, staring out at the white span of nothingness. He sat up. A familiar looking white span of nothingness.

Yusuke thought for a moment, before willing his surrounding to turn pink. It reluctantly turned pink.

"So it is here..." Yusuke trailed off thoughtfully. He looked around some more, before standing. "Hiei," he called out, "are you here?"

"Where else would I be?" A voice came from his far right side. Yusuke turned. "Although," -Hiei looked around in disgust- "you're making me reconsider." Hiei stared at Yusuke and deadpanned, "Pink, really?"

Yusuke laughed sheepishly and willed the area to turn blue. It ended up as a light shade of purple. Yusuke frowned. "Asshole," he muttered under his breath.

"Still as incompetent as ever, I see." The surrounding turned blue. Hiei was wearing that damn smug smirk of his.

"I don't have all the time in the world to practice, you know," Yusuke replied with a scowl. "Unlike you, Mr. I'm-Immortal."

"You'll have time now," Hiei said, raising his hand and changing the surrounding once more. This time, it was a lot more complex: a wood with a bunch of realistic looking trees. Hiei made a jump and landed on a sturdy branch, before rearranging himself so he was sitting in his usual position, with his back against the tree trunk and his legs on top and parallel to the branch. Hiei looked down. Yusuke privately thought Hiei liked sitting on trees so he would appear taller. "You're dead, after all."

Yusuke unknowingly winced at the bluntness of Hiei's tone, before shrugging it off. "So why am I here, instead of the Underworld?"

Hiei crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Your soul didn't automatically go to the Underworld, so Botan went to collect it."

"So I'm going to finally meet this wonder girl, the one who can stand grumpy Hiei and not flee after a week of working for you."

Hiei cracked an eye open to look at Yusuke, probably wondering if he was serious, before snorting. "Hn."

Yusuke frowned at the lack of response. He was used to it after twelve years and normally would just let Hiei be, but Yusuke was dying and excuse him if he wasn't a bit more considerate towards the ruler of the Underworld.

"Hn," Yusuke imitated Hiei, including crossing his arms. He broke off the imitation, and threw his hands up. "That's all?" he exclaimed, glaring up at Hiei.

Hiei looked down at Yusuke, not a trace of emotion on his face. "What do you want me to say?"

Yusuke let out a laugh. "I don't know, maybe, 'I'm sorry for your loss' or whatever you people say to dead souls?"

Hiei shook his head. "Mortals," he muttered, either under the impression it was low enough that Yusuke couldn't hear, or not caring that Yusuke could. Probably both. Bastard. "Sorry for your loss," Hiei said to Yusuke, not sounding sorry at all. "Now let me sleep."

Yusuke bent down and picked up a gravel, glad for once that Hiei was such an asshole for doing all those details just to silently, and sometime verbally, mock Yusuke for still not being able to perfectly change the color of the Dream Room. He threw it, and watched as it smacked against a part of the tree trunk near Hiei's head. "Get your lazy ass down here and fight me, you asshole."

Hiei cracked his eyes open. "You really want to loss that badly, Detective?" An amused smirk hovered at the corner of the ruler of the Underworld's mouth.

Yusuke groaned at the moniker, recalling how he had gotten it. He was a naive four year old the first time they've met. At the time, he had yet to become the ounce of the man he was now.

That night, he had cried himself to sleep about yet another day of being bullied and this time, without Keiko-chan (Yusuke shivered at the thought of calling Keiko that _now_) there to save him. According to Hiei, Yusuke was crying so much that Hiei could hear it at the end of the Red String. Absolutely pissed, Hiei accessed the Dream Room that he had known about all along, but never used until then. The Dream Room allow those connected by the Red String to meet, as long as they are sleeping or unconscious.

Hiei, the asshole, was actually planning to give him a piece of his mind about bothering him, only upon arrival, found himself face-to-face with a four year old. A crying four year old who was sniffling and marveling the Dream Room at the same time. Upon seeing another person in the room, four year old Yusuke, being the brat that he was, demanded who Hiei was while backing away from him with trembling legs. When Hiei didn't reply, young Yusuke began throwing out guesses, including as the boogeyman, a goblin, and a pedo-something, because four years old could not remember such long words.

In fact, four years old shouldn't know about the last word at all, but Atsuko was a special single mother who really couldn't handle her child getting into too much trouble, so she told him all these monsters to get him to stay good. It worked remarkably well, but also successfully turned Yusuke into an easily scared child up until a certain age.

Unfortunately for Hiei, probably because he didn't care much for mortals, he didn't bother keeping track of his very mortal soul-mate either, and was unpleasantly surprised when he found out Yusuke had grown up to an annoying four year old. Upon hearing the last guess, Hiei got understandable annoyed, but showed admirably restraint because even he wouldn't harm little kids.

"You're a terrible detective, mortal," he said before promptly leaving. He hadn't gone back to the room until five years later, when Yusuke learned of war and his childhood was shattered. That day was the last time Yusuke ever cried so badly, so much that it sent Hiei investigating again.

"You're a god, aren't you?" nine year old Yusuke asked upon seeing Hiei, while vigorously scrubbing his eyes to erase the evidence of his tears.

Hiei smirked at him and replied, "Not bad, Detective. Took you, what, seven years?"

Yusuke launched himself at Hiei. "Five!" he shouted, and that was that. Years later, the moniker 'Detective' unfortunately stuck.

Present-day Yusuke shook away the memory to reply to Hiei's taunt. "I'm going to win this time."

Hiei looked like he was about to taunt Yusuke again, but paused. His eyes flickered to Yusuke, seeming to consider something. "I'm going to be back," Hiei murmured at last and disappeared before Yusuke could get anything in. With a part of the soul-mates gone, the Dream Room vanished.

Yusuke plunged into darkness.

xxx

"I'm going to win this time," Yusuke declared, and Hiei felt genuinely amused. Only this mortal's spirit would not be crushed after seven years of losing consecutively to him, although Hiei honestly didn't know that many mortals. He could count the number on one hand, and that unfortunately included the orange-haired buffoon whom Yukina chose to associate herself with.

Just as Hiei was about to reply with another taunt, he felt the vibrating of the communication mirror against his actual hand. Botan, probably. Only a selected number of people knew how to contact him, and only Botan had any reason to. He was never the man for pleasantries, after all.

Hiei's eyes flickered to Yusuke, considering. Should he return to the real world and pass up on sparing Yusuke? He had improved considerably, and had came close to defeating Hiei the last they fought. Hiei was actual entertained, unlike their first pathetic battle.

Then Hiei's ruler mindset kicked in and he paused to consider Botan's side. Did she encounter some kind of trouble while collecting Yusuke's soul? Hiei knew first hand how stubborn Yusuke and his soul could be, after all.

It was useless to wonder, especially given that, in the Dream Room, Hiei couldn't sense Yusuke's life and death status. He should just return to see what was the matter. Perhaps another matter not concerning Yusuke came up. That was certainly a possibility, with the influx of souls heading into the Underworld these days.

"I'm going back," Hiei meant to say, but what actually came out was, "I'm going to be back."

A promise.

Hiei inwardly shook his head as he detached himself from the Dream Room and faded away.


	6. Would you live?

The time which they waited for Hiei to pick up was filled with tense silence. Kurama did nothing to break it, head lowered and concentrating intently on anchoring Yusuke's soul instead. If not, Kurama was afraid he was going to excuse himself by 'accidentally' letting go.

Yusuke's soul was connected to Hiei's, as one soul-mate's would to the other. Kurama realized some time after the ferry girl arrived, although the discovery had nothing to do with the girl herself. Since Kurama was handling Yusuke's soul, it was inevitable that he would eventually find out.

He wondered if Hiei knew, then he wondered if Yusuke did and felt bitter, even though he had no right to. It was Kurama who left Hiei, so he really shouldn't begrudge Hiei or Yusuke. But he did. Illogically, after finding out about the connection between Hiei and Yusuke's soul, he felt betrayed.

He wondered if that was how Hiei felt when he walked away.

"You should ask him first, ferry-san," Kurama had said, and it wasn't only the ferry girl he was speaking to.

xxx

"Botan," came Lord Hiei's voice from the communication mirror. Lord Hiei himself appeared on the reflection. "What's the matter?"

"Erm." Botan's eyes flickered to the immortals, struggling to answer for a second. "Lord Kurama and Lady Yukina wish to bargain for Yusuke's life," Botan finally settled with saying. "An spiritually aware human as well," Botan added as an afterthought, but it was as though her lord didn't hear the last part. The strangest, most expressive yet unreadable looked flashed across his face at the two name.

"Tell them it's not possible," Lord Hiei finally replied, an inscrutable expression on his face. "If that's all, I'll leave the rest to you." Lord Hiei made a movement to close the mirror, but stopped. "And Botan."

Botan's eyes met Lord Hiei's at the sound of her name. "Yes?"

"Next time, don't bother me with something like this," and although Botan knew Lord Hiei was most likely stressed and unpleasantly surprised at Lord Kurama's involvement with this and therefore, didn't really mean anything with by his next comment, it stung. "It's annoying."

xxx

"Hiei," a familiar voice uttered and Hiei would have been furious, if he didn't feel cold at hearing that voice again. Hiei froze midway in closing the mirror a second time.

"Kurama," Hiei replied. He made no move to flip the mirror completely up so the holders of the mirrors could see each other. "What do you want?"

There was a long pause before Kurama answered. "You-"

"Don't you dare," Hiei snarled lowly, surprising himself with the venom in his tone and the cold fury that coursed through him.

"-suke's soul," Kurama finished, after another pause. Hiei couldn't tell if Kurama truly meant Yusuke's soul or was his answer 'you.' The fury remained either way, as was Hiei's answer.

"No." Hiei chose to pretend Kurama truly meant his second answer. "Yusuke's soul is mine."

Kurama's tone turned cold. "Because he is your soul-mate."

Hiei refused to let Kurama rattle him. "Because he is dead."

"Oh, but he's not, and you know it."

"Only because you interfered."

"Would you prefer him dead?" _and with you? _

"Would you rather him alive and out of your way?" Hiei blew all the pretense that it was not personal. It was and he was sick of Kurama's games and he wanted them to end.

Hiei turned away at the silence that followed with a scoff. Kurama wouldn't make a commitment he was uncertain of and cannot control. That was Hiei's thoughts, so he was shocked to hear the response moments later.

"Yes, but you're not someone to let that be a barrier if you are truly committed."

"No, I'm not." In a vindictive moment, Hiei added, "You were."

"... I was, Hiei," and it was like a confirmation of Hiei's statement, only that it emphasized on the 'was.' Past tense. Not anymore. It hinted at the possibilities for the future. Hiei felt as though he was punched. "Your answer, Hiei," Kurama prompted after some time, his voice firm and without any other inflection.

And ultimately, it went back to Yusuke. If Hiei insisted on collecting Yusuke's soul, it meant he chose him, since Yusuke as a dead soul would stay by Hiei's side. If Hiei let Yusuke live, it meant Hiei was willing to try again with Kurama, or at least that he wasn't interested in Yusuke as a potential love interest.

Hiei reached out and grasped the top of the mirror, pulling it back until he could see Kurama's face reflecting back to him and his, undoubtedly to Kurama. He could see Kurama's eyes widen slightly at the unexpected move. "Why don't we let the boy decide, since we are using his life to decide for us?"

Kurama glanced to the side briefly, probably to where Yusuke was. "What do you have in mind?"

"Yusuke have came close to beating me recently in our battles. Let's see if he is finally up to par." Hiei watched Kurama's eyes flashed angrily at the casual mention of their battles, undoubtedly correctly deducting that they've came into contact since long ago, but didn't say anything. "If he wins, he'll get a chance to live. If not, he'll enter the Underworld."

Something sparked inside Kurama and his lips curled in wry amusement. "So I would have to root against you if I hope to be with you. How interesting."

"So would you?"

Kurama's eyes met Hiei's and suddenly, it was as though he was glowing. Hiei's skin prickled as the the previous smile on Kurama's face turned into a smirk full of confidence. It was the smirk of someone who was used to gambling and winning. A rush of thrill ran through Hiei as Kurama's answer, voiced in that slow and sure manner of his, reached his ears. "Absolutely."

xxx

"Hello, anyone home?" Yusuke called out and just like the many times before this one, no one answered. Yusuke huffed in annoyance, absolutely sick of the darkness which he was in. "Hiei, Hiei," Yusuke muttered under his breath. "I didn't do anything to annoy you recently, right? So why am I getting this kind of treatment when I'm dead. You'll think being dead insures that you wouldn't ever be bored to death," Yusuke grumbled.

Then, suddenly, a blast of blue light flared behind him. Yusuke twisted around, and found himself facing his mother's image. "Ma?" Yusuke said, approaching towards the image even though he knew Atsuko really wasn't there. Up close, Yusuke could see what his mother was doing. Drinking. "But I thought you stopped a while ago..."

The scene zoomed out then, enabling Yusuke to see a crowd of people all dressed uniformly, before zooming in to Keiko. Keiko, who was... crying. Yusuke could already feel his fist clench, ready to beat up whoever had the gall to make Keiko cry, when the scene was zoomed out a little again. Keiko was crying on a body... Yusuke's dead body.

Yusuke's stomach rolled uncomfortably, recalling the crowd of people who's apparels were all alike and dark, a perfect fit for... a funeral. "You're shitting with me," Yusuke said disbelieving, staring at the scene before him.

Keiko on the screen looked up and the camera followed her gaze to the door. It zoomed up to Kuwabara, who had tears on his face, and Yukina, who looked equally solemn. Kuwabara flew back, and suddenly Atsuko was there. Punching Kuwabara.

Yusuke couldn't hear what was being said, but he knew Atsuko was saying -_screaming_- something. Over and over and over again, along with each of her punch.

_"You promised, you promised, you PROMISED!"_

Kuwabara did nothing to retaliate or to defend himself. Yukina tried talking to Atsuko, but she wouldn't listen. Keiko... Keiko tugged Atsuko's arm back to no avail, saying something.

_"Please, Atsuko, Yusuke wouldn't have wanted this!"_

Atsuko stopped, all of a sudden, like a puppet cut of the strings that enabled her to move. Tears began sliding down her face. She collapsed on her knees.

"Then tell me," Yusuke heard, spoken by Atsuko in an unusually soft voice. Like a lost child. "What am I suppose to do?" Atsuko looked directly at the screen with hollow eyes. "My only son is _dead._"

The screen blacked out and Yusuke was left in darkness once more, the last words Atsuko said echoing in his mind.

xxx

"It seems as though you changed your mind," Hiei commented as he appeared in the white Dream Room. Yusuke was standing, his body facing at the exact spot where Hiei appeared. An air of determination surrounded him, contrasting the careless and carefree attitude Yusuke previously displayed regarding his demise.

Yusuke shrugged easily, although the firm look in his eyes remained. "Yeah." Yusuke's eyes met Hiei's. "Now what? You can't just exactly let me go, can you?"

Hiei reached up to tug his cloak off. "Actually, I can." He threw the cloak aside and arranged his body into a stance easy for him to fight. "But you'll have to earn it."

A grin slowly made its way to Yusuke's face as he shifted his stance as well. "Now we're talking, although I wonder what made you agree so easily." His grin widened. "Maybe a Kurama?"

Hiei suddenly appeared before him, fist swinging towards Yusuke's face. Yusuke dodged. "You're talking to much, Detective."

And so the fight was on.

xxx

Later, when Yusuke went back, choking and cursing up a storm at the pain in his solid body, screaming for an end, he would take a look at the misty, teary eyes of each one of the people surrounding him, and would inwardly tell the screaming pain to shove it.


	7. Heartfelt

"Hey," Yusuke rasped out, staring the medic standing beside him. "Got water?"

The medic stared at Yusuke, as though he had never seen him before. Maybe he hadn't. There were a lot of soldiers here, after all.

When the medic still didn't move after several of moments, Yusuke sat up. Instantly, his body protested, although not as loudly as before. The medic gasped, instinctively moving to help -stop?- him. "Please don't move," the medic said, his hands hovering indecisively. He swallowed. "Your wounds were severe and not yet completely healed, even with Lady Yukina's potions."

Yusuke took a second look at him. Lady Yukina, he said. "You a god?"

The formerly thought medic shook his head. "I'm Lord Kurama's assistant. He asked me to watch over you and tell him- Oh!" The assistant swirled around. "I need to tell him you're awake."

"Yuki," a familiar, soothing voice called and instantly, the assistant stopped his panicking.

"Lord Kurama!" Yuki bowed, hesitantly looking up when Kurama touched his shoulder. "Yes?"

Kurama smiled softly and Yusuke recognized something was different about Kurama. "It's alright," he said, and then suddenly everything was, just because he said so. Yuki looked bewitched, nodding absentmindedly at Kurama's words, his gaze still on that smile. "Would you wait outside for me?"

Yuki went without another comment, and then it was only Kurama and Yusuke.

"You look better," Kurama said, approaching Yusuke.

Yusuke held up a hand, causing Kurama to pause in mid step. "Stay there, and don't come any closer with that smile," Yusuke said gravely. He shook his head. "I swear, Kurama, that smile can turn everyone and their aunt to Kurama-sexual or Kurama-ism."

Kurama tilted his head as though bemused, then chuckled. An amused and devious smile spread across his face, a dangerous combination. He stepped toward Yusuke again, and this time, Yusuke didn't bother stopping him. "I'll tell you I have no idea what you're talking about, but you wouldn't believe me, would you?"

Yusuke eyed at Kurama warily, wary of his strange mood. "That was some good sex with Hiei, wasn't it?" he asked, throwing out a random guess.

Kurama's eyes widen slightly, before the smile was back. "Well, if you put it that way..." Kurama moved even closer to Yusuke, entering his personal space until Kurama's lips hovered over Yusuke's, just short of touching. Yusuke's mind flashed back to the kiss Kurama gave him on the field, and something hot stirred within the pits of his guts. "Should I show you?"

Yusuke took a moment to swallow, captured by Kurama's green, green eyes. "I-" Kurama looked at him expectantly, inching even closer. Yusuke cleared his throat nervously, and never felt as unsettled as now, even compared to the time he served on the battlefield. "You want to get me killed, don't you?" Yusuke croaked out accusingly, referring to Hiei. "Just when I came back alive."

"Well," Kurama said, sounding unconcerned. He took a pinch of Yusuke's longer hair and slowly twirled it. Yusuke's eyes followed the motion, unwittingly. "You could always join Hiei and me for a threesome afterwards." Yusuke choked in disbelief, sending a shock of pain through his body as it jarred his wounds, and an air of concern manifested around Kurama. "Yusuke, are you alright?" Yusuke couldn't speak. "I'll get you some water."

Kurama stepped back, letting go of Yusuke's hair. Something lifted.

"No thanks," Yusuke said as soon as he could speak. Kurama glanced over at Yusuke, a glass of water in hand.

"You don't want water?" Kurama asked, his voice sounding strange. Yusuke couldn't think of any reason why, for Kurama, the thought of Yusuke's refusal of water would merit such a response.

"I want the water," Yusuke clarified. He unknowingly paused for a second, before saying, "No thanks to the threesome."

Kurama unexpectedly smile. "I see," he said, handing Yusuke the water. Kurama let go too quickly, or maybe Yusuke did not reach out and hold it soon enough, and the glass landed against the sheets, spilling its entire content. "Ah, what a mess." Kurama picked up the glass. "I'll get you another cup."

Offhandedly, while drinking the water of the second cup, Yusuke recalled the spark of something akin to satisfaction in Kurama's eyes -and when did they become so sharp and no longer playful- after Yusuke said no thanks to the threesome. Yusuke rubbed his finger absentmindedly over the glass, thinking about Kurama's strange tone as he certified what Yusuke said no thanks to the first time around. He paused abruptly, and glanced down at his dry fingers. If the glass had fallen, wouldn't its outside be wet, making the fingers of the glass holder wet as well? Kurama didn't have time to wipe down the glass, he returned too quickly for that.

Kurama gave Yusuke another glass, different from the first one. Kurama also -accidentally? purposely?- spilled the content of the first glass. After Yusuke told Kurama he had no interest in a threesome. In Kurama. Or Hiei.

Yusuke froze, and the glass began to slip. Kurama steadied it. "Be careful," he murmured softly. Kurama caught Yusuke's eyes, and frowned. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern radiating from him.

Yusuke stared at Kurama, scouring for any hint of deception. He found none. "Nothing," Yusuke said, looking away. It was as though Kurama could see through him. "It's nothing."

xxx

"So you and Hiei's all chummy now?" Yusuke inquired and Kurama couldn't help but be in slight awe at the resilience of the mortal. Kurama could easily read Yusuke since it was not Yusuke's character to bother hiding anything, but even when Kurama could read Yusuke, Kurama could not easily predict him. He didn't think Yusuke would realize the test Kurama had set in desire to see if Yusuke was a threat to Kurama and Hiei's newly reformed relationship, and yet he did. Kurama could tell by the way Yusuke suddenly froze and then stared at him moments ago, eyes scanning his countenance in a manner that was definitely seeking. His eyes darted too quickly back and forth for him to be admiring Kurama's beauty. He definitely suspected, took a shock, and yet was still willing to interact with Kurama. Fascinating.

Kurama allowed a mysterious smile to appear on his face. "That's a way to put it." His gaze flicked to Yusuke. "Now thinking about it, I should thank you."

Yusuke gave him a puzzled look. He took another sip of water before speaking. "Thank me? Why? If anything, I should thank you, right?"

"Oh, but it was thanks to you that we reconciled."

Yusuke blinked, appearing more and more bemused by the minute. "What do you mean, Kurama?" and it was said casually for most part, but the way he ended it... his tone was hard, implying that Yusuke knew Kurama was playing and Yusuke was willing to continue to play, but Kurama must get to the main point soon because he was not a patient man. How interesting.

"We... made a bet of some sort," Kurama 'admitted,' his tone giving no indication that the slight pause was deliberate. "If you were to win the fight against Hiei, you would be allowed to live. Consequently, Hiei would be willing to give our relationship another chance." Kurama smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "As you see, you've won and we got back together. Truly, I cannot thank you enough."

Yusuke took a moment to comprehend the information, before _grinning_. Kurama stared. "I _knew _it was you," he chortled. Yusuke looked at Kurama, his eyes shining brightly. His soul was _blinding_. "You see, for all his badass acts, Hiei is really that kind of fair guy, don't you think? The kind that treats most people equally, even if it is with only contempt or scorn. I doubt Hiei would so easily give me the chance to come back alive if you weren't part of the equation. So really, I should be thanking _you_, for giving him a reason to give me a chance."

Yusuke paused and frowned, and something inside Kurama shifted unpleasantly. What could make such a radiant soul -radiant _person_- feel down? "That was way too wordy," Yusuke continued, completely unaware of how Kurama would have fallen at the sheer ridiculous and unexpected reason if he was the type to do so. As it was, Kurama ended up staring at Yusuke incredulously.

Yusuke's gazed back for a moment, then blinked. "Seeing something you like?" Yusuke asked jokingly, his grin lingering.

The question made Kurama all to aware of Yusuke. Kurama licked his lips and his staring turned into something more... intimate. Yusuke's grin slowly fell as the moment stretched, then shifted, appearing more uncomfortable the longer that went on.

Kurama inwardly frowned, and made an effort to stop his staring. He didn't mean to make Yusuke feel uncomfortable, however fascinated Kurama was by Yusuke. He chose to change the topic. "May I ask how did you win a battle against Hiei, whom, I might add, is a god?" Kurama asked, smiling his least lethal smile. Kurama thought discussing a battle would make Yusuke less tense, seeing as Hiei told Kurama Yusuke always loved a good fight, and just what man doesn't enjoy bragging a little?

Predictably, for this once, Yusuke smiled. He _glowed_, before attempting to contain his enthusiasm, probably so he wouldn't look the part of a kid allowed free reign in a candy store. Kurama smiled. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget Yusuke was still very much a kid, having only lived sixteen years of his life. _Which was too short in the eyes of the immortals. Way too short. _

"Damn, did you know that the first time I fought Hiei, he kicked my ass so thoroughly into next week?" Yusuke laughed as he recalled the memory, and for a split-second, Kurama felt _envious_. Of a mortal. _Or was it the immortal?_ another part of Kurama asked, and then he didn't have any time to ponder on that question because Yusuke was speaking again. While Kurama was more than simply apt in the art of pretending to be an attentive listener, for one reason or another, Kurama felt reluctant to do so.

"It feels so weird to know that I actually won against Hiei now. I mean, I've been losing for seven years, ya know."

Kurama's eyes unwittingly widened. "Seven years?" he asked. That was considerably longer than Kurama had imagined Hiei and Yusuke had known each other for. He wondered how he should feel about it.

Yusuke mistaken Kurama's concern and brought a hand to rub the back of his head, almost abashed. "Yeah, seven years. I've lost a lot, I know. Probably shouldn't have mentioned that."

Kurama took a moment to examine Yusuke's face, before shaking his head with a laugh. He reached out and placed his hand on Yusuke's empty one. "You are probably the most honest person I've met, after Hiei," Kurama told Yusuke sincerely. "Very few people would tell me about their losses, and instead, would make it seem as though beating their opponent was excruciatingly easy." Most people strove to impress him, after all.

Yusuke coughed self-consciously. "I would, Kurama, really, except Hiei would probably beat my ass to the floor when he hears about it and I'm not suicidal enough to accept another challenge when I'm not ready yet." Yusuke stretched his arms a little. "Besides, winning against an opponent once doesn't guarantee that I'll win again and there's no way in hell fighting against Hiei was easy, especially since I just opened billions of possibilities for him to defeat me."

Kurama blinked, a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"You know how I began fighting against Hiei when I was a kid right? Sometime after sparing against him became a habit, I learned that Hiei was always holding back. He never uses spirit energy against me, even when he could. When I confronted him about it, he told me I wasn't worthy enough for him to use it. My pride took a serious blow and I vowed to make him regret not going all out against me one day."

"So it's about pride and an unspoken promise for him to fight against you seriously once you become worthy enough," Kurama summoned up.

Yusuke leaned forward and grinned. "It's a little more than that. You see, the only reason why I won against him was because of two things: me changing the Dream Room's surrounding and Spirit Gun."

"The Dream Room is where soulmates may meet without any outside interference, correct?"

"Yeah," Yusuke answered, not realizing just how intimate the Dream Room could be. That was a level Kurama could not reach with Hiei. At the realization, something within Kurama clenched painfully.

Kurama blanked his features before Yusuke could realize his answer was affecting him. "Go on," Kurama said indulgently, if not a little less than casual. Yusuke didn't notice, enraptured in retelling his story. Yusuke told Kurama how their battle started just like any one if their spar, until it came to the point where it became obvious that although it would be another close match, Hiei would win by a little thanks to his speed.

"If it was just another spar, I guess I would have just let it be and continue to fight in the same style until I lose. I mean, as sad as it is for me to say this, I got used to losing after seven years of sparing against Hiei. Another one wouldn't have meant much to me. This time was different though, mostly because my life was on the line and I really wanted to live. That's when I thought of using Spirit Gun."

At Kurama's request, Yusuke explained that Spirit Gun was basically a blast of spirit energy that he uses offensively. Upon hearing the explanation, Kurama made a move to ask where Yusuke learned it from, but then Yusuke continued the story.

"So I used Spirit Gun as soon as I got the chance. Problem was, it missed. I really hated Hiei and his speed's guts. He was surprised that I knew how to use Spirit Gun but still have the time to recover from the shock and dodge." Yusuke shook his head at that, a small smile that spoke loudly of Yusuke's respect for Hiei as a fighter lingering around the corner of his mouth. Kurama suddenly felt like tasting that smile.

"I could only use Spirit Gun one more time after that because for one reason or another, I could only use Spirit Gun twice a day. So there I was, trying to figure out how to go around Hiei's speed while being kicked around like a sandbag. Then suddenly, there was no time to think because Hiei was going in for the kill. Used Spirit Gun again and guess what? Bastard dodged again and I watched the Spirit Gun sail harmlessly pass Hiei like an idiot." Yusuke's lips quirked."Guess that's what saved me in the end. I was just cursing like hell in my head and thinking, goddamnit, if only it can bounce back or something. Then I realized that it just might can, and concentrated on changing a section of the Dream Room's surrounding to a mirror. Took the hit from Hiei 'cos that took a lot of concentration and fell down. Hiei let down his guard then, and didn't expect the Spirit Gun to go flying back and hit him."

Yusuke looked straight into Kurama's eyes. "Then?" He gave Kurama a grin full of unadulterated pride and triumph, and brought up his hand, his fingers forming a V. "Victory."

Kurama was speechless for a moment, not by the story, but by the breathless scene before him. Injured, bruised, but alive and grinning, Yusuke never looked more stunning. "That was certainly clever," Kurama finally commented, unwittingly smiling in return. The phantom pain Kurama previously felt upon hearing about Hiei and Yusuke's Dream Room dissipated.

Yusuke blinked, as though expecting Kurama to say otherwise, and then unexpectedly flushed. Yusuke quickly turned his face away, then as though that was not enough, looked down. "Fuck," Yusuke said to the sheets on top of him, covering his face with his hand. Kurama was slightly surprised to find the sight before him ... adorable. Kurama could still see parts of Yusuke's red face through his finger gaps.

As though aware of that, Yusuke spoke: "Damnit, Kurama. Your god damn cup!"

Kurama struggled not to laugh. "Is it preventing you from covering your face with your other hand?"

Yusuke's head shot up, unwittingly leaving his shielding hand behind. "Yes!" he exclaimed, then realizing he revealed his flushed face, turned another shade darker. He ducked his head back down and pulled his legs closer to him so he could place his forehead against his knees. He waved the cup wildly at him, almost spilling the little water that was left. "Take it!" he demanded, embarrassment and annoyance coloring his words.

Kurama laughed aloud and took it. Then, to give Yusuke some time, he stood and returned the glass cup to where it belonged. While it was amusing to watch a flustered Yusuke, Kurama had no interest in spending the rest of the time with Yusuke with his head down.

"You shouldn't have complimented me," Yusuke said as Kurama returned. Yusuke rested a side of his cheek on his knees so he was facing Kurama.

"Why?" Kurama questioned as he took a seat beside Yusuke. His cheek was no longer as red, but some color still remained. Kurama resisted the urged to touch it. Yusuke cast his eyes on anywhere but Kurama and mumbled something too low to be heard. "Yusuke, I can't hear you."

"Not used to compliments," Yusuke repeated in a louder voice, his tone tinged with petulance and slight annoyance.

Kurama instantly went cold, his intelligent mind supplying dozens of unsavory reasons as to why. "Your parents neglect you?" he asked without thinking, choosing one of the most likely reason. Shiori showered Kurama with plenty of compliments as he grew up, so the lack of parental care was the most reasonable explanation he could think of for Yusuke to never have heard a compliment.

Yusuke immediately scowled, lifting his head. "It's not like that. Just that ma's not the type of person to hand out compliments easily. She's the tough kind of lady who say stuff like 'not bad' and ruffles your head and then send you on your way. There's war, so it's not like she could constantly pay lots of attention to me. And my dad..." Yusuke shrugged. "I've never met him, so I wouldn't know if he is the sort to dish out compliments."

"... I apologize. I shouldn't have said that, especially since I didn't know about your family situation."

Yusuke waved off the apology, the scowl already gone. "It's not your fault. It's exactly because you didn't know that you asked, right?"

Kurama didn't know what to say to that, so he decided to change the topic. "Your blush is gone," Kurama said, his tone deliberately teasing. He let a smile surface.

Yusuke let out a frustrated noise and threw up his hands. "It's not my fault!" Yusuke exclaimed, as though blushing was something he needed to defend himself from. "Hiei would have said something like he couldn't believe he lost to me with a strategy like that, Kuwabara would have said he could have done better, Yukina would have smiled, but wouldn't have said anything because Kuwabara loses to me all the time and complimenting me would be like adding salt to wound or something like that. How would I know-" Yusuke appeared to lost the ability to speak and simply gestured uncontrollably at Kurama.

Kurama would have simply watched on with amusement, if he didn't realize something. He reached out and caught the gesticulating hand, surprising Yusuke. "Stop," he murmured, unwittingly leaning closer to Yusuke so he wouldn't extend his arm farther than necessary. "You're going to irritate your wounds."

Yusuke stopped, wincing as he did as though the thought never occurred to him. Yusuke looked down at his body and Kurama followed, tilting his head down to watch as Yusuke's hand carefully prodded his upper torso for any pain. "Doesn't look like any stitches were torn..." Yusuke lifted his head and froze, suddenly finding them to be way too close. Foreheads that were previously some distant away from each other were suddenly inches apart, lips that were far away were suddenly close enough to kiss. They were close enough to literally feel the other's every breath, and became painfully aware of each other's movement and the hand Kurama still had on Yusuke's arm.

There was no question about who made the first move. They both snapped out of their reverie and took action, moving like one to close the distant between themselves.

Only for both of them to stop short simultaneously, the same thoughts on their mind.

"Is it presumptuous of me to believe we're thinking of the same thing?" Kurama asked, very aware of how his breath brushed against Yusuke's lips with every word he spoke at their close distant, however unintentionally it was.

Yusuke made a move to nod and when that caused their nose to bump briefly against one another, he stopped. "Hiei," he confirmed, his breath brushing back against Kurama's lips. Kurama pretended not to notice.

Their eyes met and a silent understanding passed between them. In unison, Kurama and Yusuke backed away from one another. Kurama let go of Yusuke's arm as he stood.

Silence stretched between the two, uncertain as to whether or not they should address what had almost transpired. At last, Yusuke awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Uh-"

The flaps of the tent were pushed aside, revealing Hiei. He paused at the threshold upon sensing the tension in the air, and his eyes darted to Yusuke, imperceptibly checking him for any harm that was not there previously. Any warm feelings Kurama may have had for Yusuke was swiped away, replaced by annoyance at Hiei for thinking he would cause Yusuke any harm. Then he recalled that he did try to harm Yusuke, and the irritation illogically grew. Irritation at Hiei for being right, and at himself for proving Hiei right.

"Hiei," Kurama called out. "Fancy to see you here," he said, making it seem as though Hiei had never came visit during the time Yusuke was unconscious. Kurama logically knew he was being petty, but he felt wounded and needed to lash out at someone. To make someone feel the pain that he feels. Misery loves company, Kurama thought without much humor, and here's evidence to prove it.

Hiei turned to Kurama and he could see the soft frown that decorated Hiei's face. He parted his lips, but nothing came out for a beat. At last, he said, "Your assistant is still waiting for you outside."

Kurama blinked, having completely forgotten about Yuki. Then he realized that while he went to Yuki, Hiei and Yusuke would be alone together, and a thin smile stretched across his face. "How clever," he said, bitterness coloring his every word and recalled how sweet those words were when he said them to another person moments ago as a compliment. His eyes inevitably sought Yusuke's and Kurama read the confusion within them. Kurama looked away.

He also saw the desire Yusuke had to somehow help Kurama and to soothe his pain, if only he knew how to.

"Kurama..." Yusuke called out, almost hesitantly. Kurama would have felt flattered under any other circumstance, if only because he could tell from the little time they've spent together that Yusuke was never the one to hesitate on anything.

Kurama forced himself to present a smile for Yusuke. "Get some rest," he told him and left.

Yusuke stared after him, before turning to Hiei, who was simply standing there, staring after Kurama as well.

"What are you doing?" Yusuke asked. Hiei snapped his head in Yusuke's direction. "Go after him!" Yusuke exclaimed, making the shooing motion.

Hiei stared at Yusuke for another long moment, before his lips set to a sneer. "Don't order me around," he said, and after a beat, went.

Yusuke leaned back against the bed frame and shook his head exasperatedly, before tilting his head back and letting his own turmoil wash over him.


	8. Out in the Open

Something jabbed right into Hiei's soul, at the recollection of the look on Kurama's face as he left, all fake smile hiding an underlying of pain. When he told Yusuke to get some rest, his tone was genuine, without a hint of deceit or subtle manipulation. He truly did care about Yusuke's well-being, not in the way that implied _so you wouldn't end up in the underworld, where you could interfere_, but in the manner of someone that wish the best for another.

Hiei's mouth tasted like ash at the implication, doubting for a moment if his accusation that Kurama had attempted to harm Yusuke was really true. But Hiei knew Kurama in a manner that time cannot change. For all Kurama's intellect, he always react in the most predictable manner through the most complex method. If there was an obstacle, he would remove it. If something was endangering him, he would leave it. If something was upsetting him, he would hide it. And Hiei? Hiei would pretend not to care.

"Kurama."

Kurama paused in what he was saying to Yuki, slanted his head in Hiei's direction, and, after a beat, said to Yuki, "I'll speak to you later." Yuki bowed in their direction, and left. "What do you want, Hiei? Shouldn't you be with Yusuke?"

"He was the one who told me to come after you."

A mirthless smile slid on Kurama's face. "Since when did you listen to what others tell you?" _  
_

"I still don't," Hiei replied, point blank. He watched as multiple emotions flickered across Kurama's face, before they were all forcefully wiped clean.

The smile shifted, and it was still by no means pleasant. Something slammed into Hiei's soul, burning it like ice at the look. Kurama was always cold when he was unable to control his emotions, but passionately so. His tone turned warmer, but his eyes remained calculatingly frigid. "Is that your silent way of saying you came here for me?"

No, it was never warmth in his voice. Mockery, patronage. A direct attack on Hiei's person, and his reserved personality. Every word was aimed to hurt.

There was an urge to scoff, to tell Kurama not to flatter himself, to return the hurt that Kurama was knowingly inflicting upon Hiei, except that would only bring momentary victory and nothing else. Hiei would know. Haven't they brought self-destruction on themselves once already?

Hiei forced himself to turn away, hating the feeling that he was fleeing, but in no mood to stay for the argument that was bound to escalate. "I shouldn't have came here."

"No, you shouldn't have," Kurama agreed, words flowing out easily. "You should have stayed with your sweet, dear soul-mate. Why would you bother with me at all?" Kurama shook his head in a self-deprecating way at the last line, spoken as though to himself.

Hiei gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm. The grass around him began to shrivel, as tendrils of his power appeared. "Stop this act, Kurama."

The purposeful blast of power that was all Kurama made Hiei instinctively turn back. Hiei's eyes met the ones that Kurama had already pinned straight at him. Hiei was falling, just as Kurama had intended him to, into the depths of the emerald eyes full of vulnerability, pain, helplessness, and anger. _Is this an act? _they screamed to prove, making Hiei's power act in the way its owner could never truly bring himself to, instinctively reaching out to Kurama to soothe the pain.

Except it was not received well at all. A blast of power, poorly aimed in panic, scattered the wisps of Hiei's well-intentioned power and suddenly, the situation was switched around.

xxx

"Hiei," Kurama called in a hurry, unable to properly conceal the panic hidden within or think of anything else to say beside that one word. Kurama felt as though he would break down when Hiei, after a moment of consideration, aborted his move to flick away with his superior speed.

"I'm sorry," Kurama blurted out, knowing every second he tried to formulate a sound saving-grace response was every second that would make Hiei more liable to leave without hearing him out. Not that his action deserved any extenuation.

Kurama forced down the hysteria that threatened to take over, having to have experienced too many varying emotions within an hour. Taking advantage of the time Hiei was shocked by his prompt apology, Kurama took in a deep breath to calm himself. Simultaneously, he squeezed his eyes shut. When they opened once more, Kurama's emotions were considerable more stable.

"For all that it means to you, Hiei, I'm sorry," Kurama reiterated, having felt the need to say it again for something had that occurred long ago and to impress upon Hiei that Kurama's first apology wasn't something he regretted saying. Both of them were usually too prideful to admit they were wrong, after all. "I did not mean to-"

Hiei turned to face Kurama, and this time, it was Kurama who was shocked to silence by the palpable _hurt_ in the other's gaze. "You are still afraid of me."

"I'm not," Kurama automatically said, and although on a certain level he had expected the test, the first appearance of Hiei's smoky black aura had Kurama flinging out his power again, before Kurama could control it. An image of a bed came unbidden to him, along with two beings sitting upon it, both deeply hurt and wanting to heal each other. In that moment, all there were was each other and neither could imagine having anyone else beside them. It started as simple touches, before they became something more. Then, power were elevating, souls were mingling and everything became frightening and out of control. The trance were broken and one of them ran, leaving the other behind.

"That's how it is, Kurama," Hiei said after a beat, and the image melted away. Kurama glanced over Hiei, and not his eyes nor his body language showed a trace of hurt and somehow, that made everything worse. Hiei closed him off.

"It wasn't you that I was reacting to, Hiei," Kurama said, his voice noticeably raising, even as Kurama tried to keep it controlled. His voice fell low without him trying to pressure it as he said the next part. "It was your power."

"It might as well be the same. I cannot separate myself and my power, Kurama."

"I don't expect you to."

"Then what do you want me to do?!"

"It's my problem, Hiei! Let me deal with it!"

"I will not be with you and have you flinching away every time at my aura until you finally can't take it anymore and leave again!"

Kurama's body tensed, doing everything he can to not react, when Hiei's power unwittingly responded to Hiei's frustration. Hiei noticed anyway.

"I was a fool to think this would work."

Kurama was silent for a long moment, before he bent down and touch the vegetation that withered at Hiei's power.

xxx

Hiei stood rooted in spot minutes after Kurama revived the withered plants and left. Kurama's last words, spoken ever softly, echoed in Hiei's mind.

_"Then we are both fools."_


	9. Late Night Visit

Yusuke was sound asleep when he became aware of the heavy, dominating aura that set over him. While it was strangely comforting, like a thin blanket on a semi-chilly night, something about the aura felt undecidedly troubled, and in the end, that was what finally convinced Yusuke to open his eyes.

They immediately met Hiei's dark ones, glinting softly in the night.

"Hey," Yusuke said, when it became obvious that Hiei wasn't going to speak. "What's up? Missed me so much already that you couldn't visit me at a more godly hour?"

Hiei automatically scoffed. "One day, Detective, you are going to wake up and realize not everything in the world is about you."

"Oh, I'm awake alright, thanks to a certain someone in front of me." Yusuke grinned as he watched Hiei's lips shifted to what he thought was scowl. It _was _really too dark, and way too late. Yusuke yawned. "So, need anything?"

"No," Hiei answered, a little too quickly, a little too strong, which convinced Yusuke the answer was actually the opposite. Yusuke only hesitated for a moment.

"Tell me," Yusuke said, stifling another yawn. "I'm already awake. Might as well."

Hiei's response was sharp and what Yusuke thought was a tad defensive. "Is something wrong with your ear, Detective, or did you finally lose what little intellect you had? I said I had nothing to say to you."

Yusuke winced inwardly. Something was definitely eating at Hiei, to act like he wanted to be anywhere but here and yet still remain. When Yusuke called Hiei honest, it was always his action that he was talking about. If Hiei didn't want to be here, he would leave, as simple as that. Since he was still here, Yusuke assumed Hiei wanted something, but didn't know how to ask for it.

Ask. Yusuke almost snorted aloud, but stopped short, knowing Hiei would make a snide comment at him for snorting for apparently no reason. But really, ask. Since when did Hiei ask? He always _demand. _

For a moment, Yusuke contemplated the idea of playing ignorance until Hiei finally manned up and spoke to him, as revenge for all the time that he mocked Yusuke, but no, that appeared a little too cruel even for him and Yusuke did wanted his sleep.

"Fine, fine," Yusuke said. "Let's_ pretend_ that you woke me up for apparently no reason. Take responsibility and lull me back to sleep with a story of yours, would you?"

Hiei stood silently for a moment, before saying, "What are you, three?"

Before Yusuke could exclaim his outrage and declare never mind at the whole hearing-Hiei-out thing, Hiei nudged his lower back non-too-gently. "Scoot over. I'm not going to tell you the whole story while standing up."

Progress. Yusuke gladly shifted over to the side, leaving a spot for Hiei to sit on the bed. Hiei took a seat, and then, there was silence.

_Patience, Yusuke, patience_, Yusuke told himself, willing himself not to get cranky. _If Hiei is going to tell you his sob story, the least you could do is wait a little for it. _Heaven knows Yusuke wasn't going to tell anyone his.

"Kurama..." Hiei began, jerking Yusuke out of his half-asleep state. "He and I grew up together."

_Not going to pretend it's not your story anymore? _Yusuke thought. He didn't voice the thought aloud, however, knowing that would just make Hiei shut right back up. Instead, he focused on Hiei's face, shrouded by darkness.

"We don't share the same blood, but his parents raised me." Yusuke noted that Hiei made no attempt to explain the circumstance. He was slightly curious, but more so regarding Kurama and Hiei's relationship, so he didn't voice the question. "His mother, Shiori, was an affectionate person, always open about hugs and kisses on cheeks. When we were young, we used to present the same... affection to each other. Then, as we got older and became more curious about the sexual side of relationships, we... experimented with each other and that eventually became a norm."

Hiei took a breath, like telling this story was literally taxing him, before continuing. "On the day our- Kurama's father died, we were upset and thought about finding comfort in each other's arms. We lost control of our power to our emotions and I supposed the intensity of my power frightened Kurama. He ran away, and our relationship was never the same afterwards."

"...And left you with a perpetual hard-on and a stick in the ass?" Yusuke joked.

Yusuke was half-sitting and grabbing before he realized why. When everything finally settled in his mind, Hiei was standing, shoulders heaving, and the same aura that Yusuke found comforting was suddenly stifling. Hiei roughly shook off Yusuke's arm. Yusuke immediately held his arm up in the universal sign of surrender, and hoped to hell that Hiei didn't leave. He didn't.

"Hey," Yusuke said softly, after a moment. "Bad joke. Got it. I'm sorry." He paused. "That was assholic of me. You could beat me up, if you want, but I hope you'll do that after I'm healed."

"... For someone apologizing, you sure have a lot of gall to throw in some conditions."

Yusuke's lips quirked, and slowly laid down an arm. He had intended to get a hold of Hiei's forearm, but aimed too low and ended up holding Hiei's hand. _Damn you, darkness! _There was an awkward moment, before Yusuke guided Hiei back to sitting.

"I don't know why I put up with your shit," Hiei suddenly announced.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't know why I put up with yours either."

Hiei snorted, and then a companionable silence fell over them.

Yusuke took that time to think over what Hiei told him, before finally saying, "I don't get what's the problem. You guys love each other and shit, so how come you two seem to be on the same page and still end up missing each other?"

"Who said anything about love?" Hiei asked, but still took a moment to think about Yusuke's question. "We left the problem alone too long," Hiei finally grunted in answer. "I got used to feeling betrayed whenever I think about Kurama, and Kurama lived with the guilt of betraying too long. It's never healthy to be self-blaming all the time, so whenever we met, we just... clash, and without a stop. We go on arguing with each other and then whenever the argument hits too close to home, we'll stab exactly at each other's buttons, to get one of us to storm off."

"Best friend is your enemy, huh."

"Hn."

"In that case, why don't you just get someone to mediate your conversation?"

Yusuke couldn't see it, but he bet just about anything that Hiei was giving him that unimpressed look. "You really think we are kids squabbling, don't you?"

"Well, you guys sure have the act down," Yusuke retorted. Completely convinced, he pressed on. "If you act like that, I might as well treat you in the same manner as well."

Yusuke honestly expected Hiei to flip him off or something, then leave, so he was more than a little astonished when Hiei appeared to be considering it. _Whoah, he really is desperate, isn't he? _

Another part of Yusuke thought, _Or he just cares about their relationship that goddamn much._

It was a strange feeling, to think about Hiei putting so much thought and care into someone. Something tugged within him, and Yusuke wondered if it was the Red String talking.

At last, Hiei shook his head. "Kurama is afraid of my power. Talking won't help solve that."

"Your power?" Yusuke asked, curiosity coloring his voice.

"The god of the Underworld is the only person thought to be able to kill immortals," Hiei explained with a snort. "They fear finding out they're not so immortal, after all."

"But you never used it on Kurama," Yusuke protested, not even needing to ask if Hiei did or not. Yusuke _knew _he didn't.

Yusuke could feel the weight of Hiei's gaze on him, like he knew what Yusuke was thinking. "No, I didn't," Hiei confirmed. "I think it's the possibility that Kurama fears. That and innate self-preservation. Why would a sheep willingly stay in a lion's den, when the sheep will have to live with the possibility that the lion could eat it any time at whim?"

Yusuke whacked Hiei on the head without thinking, and now Hiei was really glaring. Yusuke took his arm back and automatically laughed nervously, before snapping out of it. He whacked Hiei for a reason and damn if he apologize for it. "Don't give yourself too much credit," Yusuke said mildly, but equally firmly. "You are no buff guy and has no reason to hurt Kurama, even if he offends you. Besides," Yusuke added teasingly, "half of the world would be dead if you off every person who annoys you."

Yusuke swore Hiei's lips twitched. "...Ah. That's true. You would have been the first person dead, after all."

"Sure, tough guy. Keep telling yourself that."

Hiei snorted and smoothly slid off the bed. "Catch up on your sleep, Detective. You'll need it and I definitely wasted enough time of ours on some silly worry."

"Hiei," Yusuke called out, shifting off the bed as well. Hiei's acute eyes caught the slight wince as Yusuke stood. "I'll come with you."

"You are in no condition to leave this tent, Detective. Go back to bed."

Yusuke leaned briefly against the bedpost and smirked. "Aw. Is big bad Hiei actually worried about me?"

Hiei unhinged his jaws for a retort, only to snap his mouth close a moment later. Instead, he whirled around and briskly walked to the opening of the tent. Slanting his head off to Yusuke's direction, he said,"Do as you wish," and then left without another word.

Yusuke grinned in triumph and followed.


	10. At the bath

Warning: Some nudity at the later parts of the chapter.

* * *

Hiei was waiting for him. There was no other way to describe it, with Hiei moving at what was a snail pace for him.

Yusuke held back a chortle, concentrating on following Hiei instead. Normally, he would have tried to catch up to or even overtake the god, but his body was still pitifully weak. Walking was a taxing, painful task, especially when he hadn't left the bed for a while, and it showed in his speed and stamina. Just as exhaustion began to creep up on him, Hiei abruptly stopped and jumped up a tree. Assuming his usual position with his back against the trunk, Hiei continued to pretend Yusuke wasn't there.

Rolling his eyes at Hiei's stubbornness and feeling slightly grateful, Yusuke plopped down on to the grass. His hand automatically went to the wound on his stomach, feeling the sting where the wound was jarred, as well as the numerous other bruises. Yusuke huffed in annoyance. "Stupid wounds." Tilting his head up in Hiei's direction, Yusuke made a move to call the god, only to be silenced by a sharp look.

Hiei gestured to the sky with a cant of his head. Yusuke followed his gaze and wow. A smile sprang across his face as he let himself fall back, with his back against the ground and his arms spread out, as though to embrace the sky. He didn't even mind the pain that followed his little abrupt fall in favor of the beauty in the sky.

It was clear night, with little to no cloud, but plenty of sparkling stars. Yusuke was no poet, so he would say the moon was the shape of half of a circle, only much more beautiful. It was clear and glowing, radiating some kind of atmosphere down on them. It made the two fighters fall into a companionable, peaceful silence, something Yusuke hadn't experience since forever. After all, where was there peace when there was war?

But at this very moment, there was no other thought than to gaze upon the scene and commit it to memory, with someone special by his side.

Yusuke loved every minute of it.

xxx

"Yusuke," a soft voice filtered into his drowsy brain, accompanied by a light shake of his shoulders. Someone he knows, his instinct told him. Or else he would have been alarmed and awake already. As it was, Yusuke opened his eyes once to confirm it was someone he know - Yukina- and closed his eyes again.

"Yusuke," Yukina said, sounding slightly exasperated and amused. "Please. I need you to take these medicine."

"Five more minute, Yukina," Yusuke groaned. He blindly reached a hand up and carefully extract Yukina's hand from his person, before rolling over.

"I would let you have five more minutes, Yusuke," Yukina said patiently, "except I know you would say that again after five minutes is up."

"I need the sleep, _Yukina_," Yusuke almost whined. "My eyes are killing me."

"It's even more important that you let me examine you then," Yukina determinedly replied.

"It's nothing. I just stayed up late last night..." An image of lying under the night sky flashed across his mind. Yusuke bolted up within seconds, almost colliding with Yukina. "Crap, sorry Yukina," Yusuke automatically said, even as one hand reached up and held his head in pain from sitting up too fast and from the lack of sleep. He took a moment to even out his breath, as more of the memory from last night came to him."I thought I fell asleep outside," Yusuke murmured, too low to be heard. Did Hiei bring him back?

"Yusuke?" Yukina said again.

Yusuke's eyes focused on her. "Yeah?"

She held up two vitals full of those foul tasting medicine he drank yesterday. "Please drink these immediately. They are best used every ten hours."

"Um... no offense but can I _not_ drink them. They taste kinda funky."

Yukina smiled kindly, then wordlessly press the vitals into his hands and nailed an expectant look on him.

Yusuke immediately looked away, having been defeated by that look on numerous separate occasions. He was not going to fall for that trap...

Yukina continued with the silent pressure.

"Arg, fine!" Yusuke exclaimed, uncorking the vitals and drinking both in one go, blanching at the taste.

"Thank you," Yukina said, her tone deliberately neutral, giving no indication of her inward smile. Yusuke wouldn't have been too accepting of that, after all. Carefully, Yukina slipped the empty vitals out of Yusuke hand and packing them away. "How are you feeling now?"

"Disgusting," Yusuke automatically said. Yukina gave him a look. "I haven't showered in a while, ya know?"

Yukina blinked, before smiling politely. "It's not that bad, Yusuke."

"Eh, you are only trying to be polite. I really need a wash though. I think I'll go to the lake later."

Yukina glanced at Yusuke in alarm. "Don't," she said. "The lake is tainted from all the soldiers washing there just a few days ago. It'll take much more time for the filth to float away. I don't want anything getting into your wounds."

"But-"

"If you wish," Yukina continued on, ignoring Yusuke's protest on a rare occasion,"you may go to the bathing area that gods and goddesses use. The water there is clean, and even contain healing properties."

Yusuke blinked in surprise, having never thought to receive such an offer. Fuck, he didn't even know gods and goddess have selected bathing areas, although thinking about it, he supposed it made sense. That would just be another difference between mortal and immortals, with the immortals naturally benefiting."I feel flattered, but I think the gods and goddesses would strike me down when they find out I dirtied their wonderful bathing water with my mortal impureness."

Yukina frowned softly. "You're not impure."

Yusuke smiled a little at the protest. "I didn't mean it seriously. Chill. It was a joke."

The frown diminished slightly, only for there to be worry now. "Yusuke, tell me you'll go. I don't want your wounds to be infected when it could have been easily prevented."

"Alright, alright," Yusuke said in a placating manner. He disliked making Yukina upset, even without the threat of Kuwabara coming after him when he found out. "I'll go."

A tentative smile spread across her face. "Thank you. When you are ready, simply walk into the woods and imagine a small cataract and a huge body of water beneath it, surrounded by rocks. It'll appear before you. Don't worry about tainting the water either. It purifies itself."

"Damn, you immortals really take it easy, don't you?" Yusuke joked.

This time, Yukina replied with a smile.

xxx

"Let's see," Yusuke muttered distractedly, his arms full of soap, cloth, and clothes. "She said cataract, water, and rocks."

Yusuke closed his eyes and tried to picture what Yukina had previously described, mentally adding a bunch of sparkles in the mental picture as well just because it was a place normally reserved for immortals, and feeling silly for it at the same time.

_I'm going to feel like a darn fool when nothing happens, _Yusuke thought as he opened his eyes, and there it was. It was exactly as Yukina had described and yet not. She failed to mention how the majority of the water was warm, bordering scalding, yet comfortable and relaxing. Steam rose from the irregularly shaped body of water, obscuring the bathing area quite a bit from view. From what Yusuke could see, the rocks that surrounded the water were mostly smooth, yet not completely round, perfect for leaning against while enjoying the bath and not slip. The waterfall was an interesting thing, seeing as the water from it was freezing cold. Huge rocks sat beneath it, enabling immortals who wish to meditate under the huge onslaught of cold water to do so, and to cool down.

Yusuke inwardly considered anyone who willingly mediate beneath the cataract to be insane and wish them luck on surviving for more than one minute under it before turning into ice. Happily, he decided to enjoy the rare chance of having unlimited hot water supply instead and washed himself thoroughly. Afterwards, he leaned against one of the surrounding rocks and closed his eyes to catch up on his sleep.

_Splash, splash. _

Yusuke's eyes fluttered opened at the sound, mind fuzzy from the sleep for a while and wondering where he was. As he recalled, Yusuke suddenly felt uncharacteristically awkward, feeling like a child who took a cookie from a jar that didn't belong to him. A few flick of his eyes told him the water had been purified as Yukina had told him it would be, and inexplicably felt better.

For a moment, Yusuke wondered if he should gather his belongings and sneak away, as he truly didn't belong there, but acting in such a furtive manner was never Yusuke's style. When another few splashes reached his ears, Yusuke's curiosity was piqued, wondering who was in the bath with him. Without him being consciously aware, Yusuke instinctively and stealthily inched toward the sound, simultaneously moving with the splashes to mask any noises he himself may make.

Whoever he was creeping up to, the immortal didn't notice him yet. The rocks surrounding the irregularly shaped body of water provided much cover, as was the steam. When Yusuke was at the distant he could see and could normally avoid detection, Yusuke peeked his head above the rock before him. Faintly, he could make out the shadow of a person within the vapor, but could not make out any specific traits.

Not yet deterred and having a feeling all this stealth would be worth it, whatever that may have meant, Yusuke carefully placed his hands on the rock surface and quietly lifted himself forward so his upper body was leaning against the rock, with his feet remained dipped in the water. The warm steam wrapped around him, dispelling any discomfort he might have otherwise felt at being literally stark.

Wincing at the sound of water droplets falling from his person, Yusuke was entirely grateful when the immortal suddenly submerged into the water. Yusuke's eyes were trained on the water, watching as the ripples slowly faded from the water surface. Just as Yusuke worried about having to rescue the immortal from within the water, a figure gracefully emerged, back facing Yusuke.

The first thing Yusuke saw was a flash of red. While normally Yusuke would follow that bright color among the norm, his eyes were riveted on the droplets of water that slid down that slim waist to the water surface. Sliding his eyes up, Yusuke was met with flawless, smooth skin. A further upward glance had Yusuke wondering what it would be like to touch the dip right beneath those shoulder blades and the smooth curve of the neck. The arms that were raised above the head... Yusuke's eyes followed them, from the length of the upper arm to the finger tips, and was met with red again.

Yusuke froze. A familiar shade of red, waist length hair curled into a bun that enabled him to see the back of Kurama's neck in the first place.

"Fuck," Yusuke murmured, feeling remarkably uncomfortable at the knowledge that he was spying on his friend's lover bathing and knowing fully well what such sight did to a young able-bodied man like him.

'Fuck' described it all correctly, all right, as a heartbeat later, Kurama whirled around.


	11. Unspoken

Nothing in this chapter that went beyond the rating.

T: Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

* * *

Yusuke did the unforgivable. Instead of remaining still as he was trained to do and hope Kurama would miss Yusuke's figure on top of the rock within the mist, Yusuke confirmed Kurama's suspicion that there_ was_ something out of the ordinary by dropping into the water as an automatic instinct to hide and gave away his position.

Yusuke cursed himself out as he landed in the water with a loud splash, little needles immediately poking at him where his wounds were. On a side note, his bruises all but faded. Seemed like the water did help his injuries, after all.

_Damnit, Yusuke. What kind of soldier are you?_

_An half-assed one_, a grating voice came into mind.

_Shut up, old hag, _Yusuke took precious seconds to reply, even though he knew no one was really talking to him. He surfaced.

"Who is there?" a sharp voice called out, tone carrying some dark promise. Yusuke unwittingly shivered, having never heard that tone from Kurama.

_Time to own up_, Yusuke thought forebodingly.

Against his own self-preserving instinct, Yusuke stepped out from behind the rock and into Kurama's line of sight, hands held up in surrender. He glanced up at his raised arms for a moment and recalled doing the same during a certain someone's late night visit.

_Not when you're naked,_ a stupid voice that obviously didn't want to live reminded Yusuke, and suddenly he was aware of everything all over again. Yusuke was half erected already when he had seen Kurama's back, only for it to have been mostly deflated when that annoying old hag's voice berated him. Now it might as well stand upright, at seeing Kurama's front and thereby completing Yusuke's view.

_You didn't see his lower half_, the same lewd voice said and Yusuke would have attempted to punch it in the face, intangible and probably his own inner voice notwithstanding, if he wasn't so busy staring at the skin that he could see.

Kurama's front was as flawless as his back, smooth and pale in the way that made Yusuke want to lay his tongue on the skin and lap it up, tasting to see if it was as sweet as it looked. His body didn't look as soft as an average women's, but not as hard as the guys he saw in the army either. It was somewhere in between and looked enitrely delectable. There were lean muscles that made Yusuke think he could run his hands over them repeatedly and never be tired of it. Then there were the nipples, slightly perked and pink, a droplet of water staying teasingly above one, about to slide down at any moment...

Yusuke forced himself to look away, swallowing deeply through his suddenly dry throat, and thought about 'lips wrapped around' and 'swallowing' in a sexual moment.

Yusuke was ready to bash his own head open to stop the thoughts when Kurama spoke up.

"Yusuke?" Kurama said, sounding truly shocked by Yusuke's presence, and before any more dirty thoughts could come into mind, _ -that's someone else's lover you're thinking about!- _Yusuke hurried past Kurama and to the cataract.

_You made me do this,_ Yusuke thought to his body, looking pointedly down, and was grateful that the water level was high enough to hide some things. Now if only the purifying thingy would get to work and get rid of other evidences.

Yusuke swam directly beneath the waterfall determinedly, then slammed his head against the wall. Repeatedly. _You do not go after someone else's lover. __You do not go after someone else's lover. __You do not go after someone else's lover, even if they are having problems with their relationship. __You do not go after someone else's lover, even if said lover is as hot as hell. __You do not go after someone else's lover, even if said lover's body-_

"SHUT UP!" Yusuke shouted aloud to the sky, effectively drowning out his thoughts and getting a mouthful of icy water. He spat it out with a choke, and it was then he realized he was shivering, his teeth chattering and his dick felt as though it would fall off. Yusuke ducked beneath the water surface, and began to swim away from the waterfall. He didn't want any hard-on about someone else's lover, not to not have any more hard-ons in the future!

"Fuck, I'm freezing!" Yusuke exclaimed as he surfaced in a warmer area. "Whoah!" Yusuke backed away, having found himself too close to Kurama without his body reacting.

"Yusuke, are you alright?" Kurama asked. "You are acting strangely."

"Erm," Yusuke said. "Um, nothing is wrong. Just thought some of the waterfall's water would do me good."

Kurama's face was completely blank for a moment, before he cracked a smile. "I see," he said, and Yusuke resisted the urge to bend his knees to hide more of his naked body beneath the water surface, having this strange feeling Kurama's eyes were a little too intimate, aimed a little too low. Kurama caught Yusuke's eyes then, and his smile widened.

xxx

"How did you get here?" Kurama asked, trying to change the subject once he realized he was sending mixed signals. Hadn't they agreed to not act on this mutual attraction to one other, due to Hiei? Kurama consciously tuned down his unbidden predatory smile, concentrating on transforming it into a friendly one instead. Purely friendly, with no other meaning behind it.

"Yukina told me about it," Yusuke answered, shoulders relaxing once Kurama got his eyes and smile under control.

It was certainly a difficult task. Kurama found it hard to stop looking at Yusuke, not when his usually slicked back hair was dripping with water, loose in a way Kurama had never seen with the gel washed off. Kurama wanted to comb his fingers through Yusuke's raven hair, and run his hands across Yusuke's muscular shoulders and chest. There was an urge to mark Yusuke's skin with his bite, in the same way scars and injuries scattered across Yusuke's torso. Instead of the scars marring Yusuke's beauty, however, in Kurama's eyes, they enhanced his wildness. He wanted to trace each scars individually, like how he used to with Hiei's, and memorize the story behind each one. He wanted to learn more about Yusuke, and to catch another glimpse of what lied behind his rough exterior. He wanted so many things, among learning what trigger Yusuke to blush, what made him smile, and to mercilessly exploit each finding.

"I see," Kurama said, unknowingly repeating the words he had said previously when he stared unabashedly at Yusuke. Upon realizing when Yusuke's face flushed red, Kurama quickly gone back on topic, though he could certainly argue it never changed. "Although it's strange. The bath is... programmed, let's say, to allow one individual per bath. For there to be two..."

"Maybe because I'm a mortal?" Yusuke suggested, and while Kurama was not ignorant of how immortals were viewed to be much superior than mortals, Kurama couldn't help but detest how casually Yusuke suggested it. _He is worth so much more than he thinks_, Kurama thought, recalling he was first drawn to Yusuke due to his bright soul.

"Perhaps," Kurama said quietly, _but I don't think so. An answer to my- our- subconscious?_

A breeze rustled through the branches and leaves of the woods surrounding the bath, as though answering Kurama. It blew aside the steam for just a moment, allowing both Kurama and Yusuke to see each other face to face, without the steam obscuring their respective views. Time froze for just that second, mortal's and immortal's attention focused solely on each other, the truth and the want both undeniable and as stark as the bath. For that single moment, Kurama and Yusuke appeared reach out for each other, before, in the blink of an eye, the steam returned. And just like that, both Kurama and Yusuke shut down, hiding their want once more like the steam hid the bath.

"I-" Yusuke started, never the one to stay silent for long. "I should be going. Enjoy your bath."

"Yusuke," Kurama called, as he began to swim away. Yusuke stopped, but didn't make another move for a second. Then, he slowly turned, brown eyes automatically catching Kurama's emerald ones.

Kurama reluctantly broke off the gaze, redirecting it to Yusuke's stomach instead. Kurama glanced back up, and their gaze locked once more. Kurama moved forward, never taking his eyes off of Yusuke's, and then they were close enough to touch. Kurama reached out a hand, and Yusuke didn't move away. Trust.

Kurama's eyes darted back down and then his hand was touching what his gaze was on. Yusuke hissed lowly. Kurama carefully skimmed the tip of his fingers across it, his head leaning closer, his gaze more intense.

At last, Kurama's eyes met Yusuke's again, his head tilted up but still down near Yusuke's stomach. Kurama's fingers tapped lightly against it, accidentally, and Yusuke gave a little start.

"You have sand in your wound," Kurama finally said, straightening up after a beat. Kurama's fingertips remained against it. He wasn't sure if Yusuke was shivering because of their close proximity or because of the accidental probes against his wound.

"It's fine," Yusuke replied after a moment. He made no move to leave, though, rooted in spot as he was.

"No, it's not," Kurama said. Yusuke froze and Kurama used that chance to inch forward, regretably dropping his hand as to not accidentally prod Yusuke's wound again. "Allow me clean the wound. Yukina would be most displeased to find the wound uncleaned, when she sent you all the way here."

"But I did clean it!" Yusuke exclaimed, feeling the indescribable need to move back with a kick.

"But not thoroughly," Kurama countered calmly, deciding not to follow Yusuke lest he made him feel cornered. His tone mercilessly contained no room for argument, however.

Yusuke opened his mouth to reply, only to snap it shut after a moment at the steely look in Kurama's eyes. The look that said not to say anything unless it was what he wanted to hear. So when Yusuke parted his lips again, it was a one-worded response. "Fine."

The steel faded from Kurama, replaced by a small smile. "Do you have a cloth I could use?"

"Um. I have one back there." Yusuke pointed to the direction he was previously heading towards. "All my stuff are there."

"All right. We'll go there."

With no other words to say, Yusuke started to lead the way, only to stop after several of awkward heartbeats. He turned around to Kurama, and said, "Let's see if immortals are as good as swimming as mortals."

Quickly turning around, he speedily dived into the water. Then, he swam, blissfully blanking his mind, if only for just several of minutes.

It was only when he resurfaced again near his initial spot that he flushed red again, as Kurama soon followed behind him. _Damnit, _Yusuke thought, as Kurama emerged from the water near him. _Close, way too close. _His hair fell loose from the bun and Kurama's expression after the swim...

Yusuke turned several of shades darker, and ducked his head back down into the water. Yusuke _can't_ see Kurama repeat what Yusuke had witnessed previously when he was at a far distant. All those skin...

Yusuke blinked once under the water and _long legs. _Yusuke surfaced from the water, coughing. Hands automatically reached up to cup around his mouth and nose, and Yusuke shut his eyes as he tried to expel the water from his lungs. His throat burned. Yusuke barely noticed when a hand began patting on his back, nor did he realize when an arm wrapped around his waist to keep him balanced. He only did when his coughing fit subsided somewhat.

"Thanks," Yusuke rasped, too tired to _not _lean back against Kurama's chest. In response, the hand on his back slipped away, moving to his chest instead and began rubbing comfortingly in circles.

"Are you alright?" Kurama asked, and immediately regretted it when Yusuke attempted to mangle out a 'yes' and entered another coughing fit. Kurama alternated between patting and rubbing Yusuke's chest and patiently waited for the coughing to abate once more.

The two remained still for several minutes after Yusuke ceased coughing, both not thinking of any relationship, love, or problem for a bit, and simply lived through those minutes; not thinking and only feeling.

It was almost perfect.

When they did move to part, it was slowly and with great reluctance. Yusuke ended up turning around, face to face with Kurama. Their eyes latched onto the other's once more.

After a few heartbeats, Yusuke said, "I'll get the cloth," and purposefully headed toward a rock. Kurama could vaguely make out the lump on top of it.

He watched the ripples spread outward from Yusuke, eyes following the ripples of Yusuke's path, and thought this all started when Yusuke was dying several of days ago. The ripples of the water in front of Kurama eventually disappeared, and when Kurama looked in the direction Yusuke had gone, he could not see him through the mist. Would Yusuke disappear from his life like that? In with a bang and out like a ghost?

Kurama's chest ached at the thought, then Yusuke's voice came reverberating to him.

"Kurama, _Kurama, Kurama?" _Then after a beat. "Where are you? _Where are you? Where are you?_"

Kurama blinked. Once, twice, and then a third time. Then, he calmly cupped his hands around his lower face, and laughed.

It was ridiculous, illogical and almost crazy. How could a mortal whom he met several of days ago affect him so much? Whenever Kurama was at his low point, usually from an encounter with Hiei, Yusuke could always lift his spirit back up, most of the time unknowingly. The pain Kurama was in after his last conversation with Hiei was indescribable. He was tired of how they invariably circle back to the same few topics and always end up leaving each other frustrated and still with no solution. Kurama knew most of the problem stemmed from himself and that just frustrated him even more.

Yusuke's presence was usually so calming though. Perhaps it was in the way he was just so non-judgmental, so open and casually caring, even when they were just strangers. It may be because they were strangers, it may be because Yusuke didn't care about his life or death that he could be so casual. For whatever reason, Kurama enjoyed being in Yusuke's presence and that was simply the truth.

In the water, coughing and spluttering inelegantly, Kurama could hear a panicky shout and his unbidden smile widened. An arm wrapped around his waist and when Yusuke tried to get Kurama to straighten his back so his head wouldn't be under the water, but Kurama couldn't because he was still somehow laughing, Yusuke let go and Kurama fell deeper into the water.

Kurama stared at the pebbles glittering at the bottom, and blink. When he opened his eyes, Yusuke's face was there. His hand pushed away the ones Kurama had covering his face and Kurama let him. He watched detachedly as Yusuke brought his thumb and forefinger up and pinched his nose close. Kurama reflexively struggled for a second, before Yusuke's lips covered his. Kurama instinctively wrapped his arms around Yusuke's waist and then they were surfacing and parting.

Kurama gasped and coughed, water sliding down his face and hair. Yusuke had already released his nose and lips. He patted Kurama on the back, simultaneously brushing back the hair in Kurama's face with the other hand. Kurama let go of Yusuke's waist, reflexively covering his mouth and nose with his hands again.

Kurama and Yusuke ended up pressing chest to chest, with Kurama's head on Yusuke's shoulder. With Kurama's hands covering his lower face and the mortal and immortal at close proximity, Kurama's arms wound up creating an odd cage around Yusuke's shoulder. Kurama felt oddly like a child, and Yusuke continued smoothing Kurama's hair back even when none of the hair were sticking on his face. Water also kept sliding down his face.

"I'm so tired," Kurama said when he felt like he could speak, dropping his hands. His voice was raspy, and yet another droplet trailed down.

"Yeah?" Yusuke replied, his voice strangely soft. Kurama felt so safe in his arms. "You're not going to help me wash my wound anymore?"

Kurama laughed a little, and tilted his head down so his eyes were leaning against Yusuke's shoulder. "I will," he said. The smile faded. "Give me a minute."

Yusuke gave him several, and kindly didn't say anything as Kurama washed Yusuke's wound red-eyed.

"Thanks," Yusuke said after he was done and when Kurama quirked a wry smile and said, "I should say that, really," he meant it.


	12. His return

"Hey, are you really alright?" Yusuke asked, looking at Kurama with worry.

Kurama gave him a bright smile in reply, setting alarms that shouted '_fake, fake'_ in his mind.

"Hey," Yusuke said again, sensing something amissed. He reached out a hand to take a hold of Kurama's arm. Kurama subtly moved his arm away.

"I'm fine. Thanks you for your concern," Kurama said. "I've kept you too long. You should return and rest."

Yusuke paused for a moment at the formality in Kurama's voice. What was Kurama playing at, suddenly pretending to be strangers after... after all that had happened? Or was it exactly because of that?

"...Fine," Yusuke replied, deciding not to press for now. In a corner of his mind, he thought it was also none of his business. They've met for what, a few days, and Kurama clearly didn't want him to get involved. But Yusuke knew just from looking at Kurama that he was already involved, whether he wanted to or not. There was just this urge to help Kurama. Fucking hero complex. "But don't think you can hide this and pretend nothing is wrong."

"Pretend?" Kurama asked, tilting his head slightly like he didn't understand with the _same damn smile _on his face. Yusuke felt like punching it off of the immortal's face. So he did.

xxx

Kurama's eyes widen in shock, never having seen this coming. He didn't fall back on to the ground at the force of the punch, although he did stumble back a few steps.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Yusuke asked, hand clenched tightly into a fist. He gritted the words out through forced control. "You are like this, Hiei is like this and now even I'm like this!? What the fuck? If you want to say something, say it! Stop dodging and pretending nothing is wrong. Who do you think you are fooling?!"

Everyone, Kurama thought as he detachedly watch Yusuke raged. The gods and goddess, the mortals who worship him. Who _wasn't _fooled by his smiles and words? Who actually cared enough to see through them and have the ability to reach him through the thick façade? His mother, Hiei and now... Yusuke. Even Yuki, who had followed him for years, was occasionally fooled.

"Urg! You're so infuriating!" Yusuke exclaimed, when Kurama didn't reply.

At those words, the same feeling Kurama experienced when he cracked and began laughing and crying in the bath welled in his chest. A smile easily slid across his face, as he said, "I'm surprised you knew that word."

Yusuke's mouth hung agape for a moment, as he registered the words. Then, "Go to hell, and be kissy face with Hiei. You two are meant for each other!" He whirled around. "I'm off to war!" he exclaimed and left.

Kurama watched Yusuke's retreating back, his jaw throbbing as his lips curved, and thought he understood why Hiei loved teasing Yusuke so much.

xxx

"Hey Kuwabara!" a familiar voice called out. Kazuma looked up from his food and a smile instantly spread across his face.

"Urameshi!" Kazuma exclaimed, standing and approaching Urameshi. "You're fine now?"

Urameshi grinned, clasping Kazuma's outstretched hand, arm bent at elbow. "Yeah."

Kazuma readied his muscles, watching Urameshi flex his as they simultaneously sat. Hands were pushing back and forth immediately once the elbows hit the ground, no shouts of signal needed.

"Hey, look! Urameshi and Kuwabara are at it again!" someone called out.

"Urameshi's back?"

"Go Kuwabara! Don't lose to Urameshi."

"Twenty on Urameshi!" "Thirty on Kuwabara." "Urameshi, thirty!" "Kuwabara, ten!"

Jeers and shouts of bets stopped for a moment to stare at the caller of the last bet. Kazuma and Urameshi continued on, not paying the least attention to them. "Ten?"

"Aw, come on. Lost all my money last time!"

"Gonna lose again then!" Urameshi called out, arm shaking from the exertion of arm wrestling. He pushed Kazuma's hand closer to the ground. Kazuma gritted his teeth and forced it back to its position before.

"You don't know that yet, Urameshi!" Kazuma shouted, taking one deep breath and pushing. Urameshi's hand lowered, down and down, stopping... before it touched the ground. Urameshi took a split-second to cast him a grin, before reversing the situation and slammed the back of Kazuma's hand against the ground.

"Aww!" some people cried, as other yelled, "Yes!"

"I'll win next time," Kazuma warned as they rose from the ground, letting go of each other's hand.

"Dream on, Kuwabara," Urameshi replied with a grin.

"Yo, Urameshi. We heard you left with a god...?"

"Yeah, tell us some details. The god of life, was it?"

Urameshi laughed as he stole Kazuma's seat, and began eating his food.

"Hey, get your own!" Kazuma exclaimed, punching Urameshi's head.

"Starving," Urameshi replied with a mouthful of food. He turned to the speakers from before. "What detail?" he asked.

Kazuma gave up on reclaiming his chair, and took a nearby one. "They think you and Kurama are all close and touchy."

Urameshi began choking, and Kazuma took a moment to relish in it, before he began to roughly pat Urameshi on the back.

"Hey, you're not crying, are you?" Kazuma asked worriedly as Urameshi's shoulder shook. It took him a second to realize Urameshi was laughing, before Kazuma pushed him off of his original seat. Urameshi fell, still laughing, and Kazuma reclaimed his seat.

Kazuma was eating his food again when Urameshi's laughter finally subsided. Arms wrapped around his stomach, Urameshi pushed himself into sitting upright and crossed his legs. He made no move at Kazuma's seat, since he was busily wiping the laughter tears at his eyes.

"Damn, I haven't laughed like that for a while," Urameshi said, still chuckling. He took a breath and winced. "Ow, ow, ow, my stomach hurts. Only you, Kuwabara, only you."

"What do you mean, only me? All of 'em" -Kuwabara pointed at their fellow mates with his chopsticks- "think that way."

Urameshi raised an eyebrow and stood. "Oh?" he said, cracking his knuckles. "Which bastards think I was having fun while I was recovering from my injuries, step out."

The surrounding soldiers backed away. "Oi, oi, Urameshi. No need to be so serious," someone called out. The rest of the soldiers nodded in agreement. Kazuma shook his head, and thought, _poor bastards. _

"All of you then," Urameshi said calmly, looking at the soldiers who previously nodded. The soldiers each gave him a nervous smile. "Ten seconds," he declared.

"Urameshi-_san_," one soldier called, emphasizing on the honorific in hope to flatter Urameshi.

"Nine," Urameshi continued, appearing unconcerned. The soldier looked uncertainly at each other. "Eight." The soldier appeared to panic. "Seven." Some soldier turned to run. "Six." The rest followed. "Five, four, three, two, one!" Urameshi called out in one go.

"Not fair!" Someone called out, and Urameshi slowly turned in his direction. The soldier froze. Urameshi pounced.

Then, chaos.

"How the hell does he know who to go after?!"

"Can he read minds?"

"Where does he get all this energy from?!"

"Doesn't he get tired?!"

"I can't run anymore."

"Hey, you bumped into me."

"You wanna fight?!"

And among the most popular: "Run!"

Among the chaos, Kazuma sat and calmly continued eating his food, already used to Urameshi's antics. _How does he know who to go after? Simple. He doesn't. Like a hound, Urameshi just chase whoever runs._

Someone crashed into his table, spilling all his food. "Hey!" Kazuma shouted, slapping the table and already standing.

"What?!" the soldier shouted. "You wanna fight?!"

Kazuma replied with a fist.

"What is going on here?!" A voice boomed. Everyone froze, all alike recognizing the authoritative voice.

"Commander Takanaka," the troop chorused.

"Who started this?" Commander Takanaka asked, eyes surveying the damage to the camp.

All eyes and fingers went to Urameshi, who was holding another soldier by his collar and was ready to clobber him. Urameshi let go of the soldier, effectively freeing his hands, but was unable to reach in time. Commander Takanaka caught him red-handed.

"URAMESHI! YOU AGAIN!" Commander Takanaka bellowed, making Urameshi and many other soldiers wince as they covered their ears. They looked like students being scold by the principal or something.

"And Kuwabara!" Commander Takanaka continued, whirling around to Kazuma. "Why didn't you stop them?!"

"Hey, Commander!" Urameshi shouted, making Commander Takanaka turn again. "Did you think he could stop me?"

"I could stop you any time I want, Urameshi!" Kazuma yelled back. Urameshi was about to retort, only to be cut off.

"ENOUGH!" Commander Takanaka shouted. "Both of you, follow me." Looking at the rest of the soldiers, he said, "The rest of you, clean up this mess. I expect everything to be done before sunset."

There were some groans, but everyone set to work without a complaint, as Urameshi and Kazuma followed Commander Takanaka into a familiar tent.

"I have to say, Commander," Urameshi began with a grin. Kazuma already knew it was going to be something inappropriate and elbowed him, but he continued. "I know I was gone for a while, but you seem to have grown more white hair."

Commander Takanaka sighed. "No thanks to you, Urameshi." Urameshi simply continued to grin. Behind the desk, Commander Takanaka clasped his hands and leaned forward so his elbows were on the table. "I have to say, Urameshi," Commander Takanaka began, using the same words that Urameshi started with. "I knew that you were going to cause trouble once you were back, but I didn't realize it would be on this scale."

"Maybe you underestimated me," Urameshi replied cheekily, ignoring Kazuma's hiss of, "Just shut up."

Commander Takanaka quirked a smile, even as he shook his head. "I wouldn't say you get in trouble to lessen the tension around here all the time, because you sometimes do so just because it is in your nature, but I know you do try to help in your own way." Urameshi frowned, and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, as though he had to be ready for something. "This is a little too far though, you realize?"

Urameshi relaxed at those words, like that was something he was familiar with and can handle, not the part where the Commander seemed to be understanding. "That's what they get, for implying stuff about me and Kurama." Urameshi turned and punched Kazuma's upper arm. "You too."

"I said nuthin'!" Kazuma exclaimed, rubbing the spot Urameshi punched.

Urameshi got Kazuma into a neckhold. "Did too!"

Kazuma immediately swept his feet to the back of Urameshi's, did a 180 and flipped him to the ground, not bothering with protecting his neck since he knew Urameshi wouldn't really do anything.

"Fuckin' Kuwabara," Urameshi growled as he pulled Kazuma down with him.

"Children," Commander Takanaka stated firmly, staring down at them. "Settle down."

The two stood. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Urameshi and Kuwabara, I want you two to go out and help with the cleaning."

"Easy," Urameshi began saying, only for him to shut up when Commander leveled a look on him.

"After you're done, Urameshi, you are to clean the dishes for a month," Commander Takanaka continued. "And Kuwabara. I'm not going to give you additional punishment but I expect you to attempt to control the situation next time."

"What?!" Urameshi exclaimed, at the same time Kazuma said, "Yes, sir," before being unable to hold back his laughter at Urameshi's punishment.

"Shut up, Kuwabara," Urameshi replied with a scowl.

"Urameshi, Kuwabara," Commander Takanaka called, and the two quiet down after a bit. "I don't want something on this scale to happen again, understood?"

"Yes, sir," the two childhood friends replied in unison, legs together and straight, hands at their sides like proper soldiers.

"Good," Commander Takanaka said after a beat. "Kuwabara, you may go now. Urameshi, stay behind."

The proper soldier spell broke. "Aw," Urameshi grumbled, as Kazuma clasped him on the shoulder and left.

"Urameshi, are you better now?" the Commander asked. Yusuke took a moment to realize what he meant.

Yusuke quirked a smile, slightly warmed by the Commander asking after his well-being. "Yeah, as good as new."

Commander Takanaka smiled. "That's good to hear."


	13. Decision

"Lazy asses," Urameshi hissed, as he rubbed the dirty sponge over the plate. "The second they heard I'm doing the washing duty, they threw all the dishes at me."

"Hey, at least you're not washing their laundry. Imagine washing their underwear." Kazuma shuddered at the thought, as he watched Urameshi work.

Urameshi faked throwing up, then resumed callously scrubbing the plate. "Bet it's all yellow and dirty."

"Well, let's not talk about that anymore. Aren't you happy that I'm visiting and relieving some of your boredom?" Kazuma crowed, causing Urameshi to scowl, most likely at the thought of his one month of dishwashing. Urameshi looked down on his soapy hands, and flung some at Kazuma. "You bastard!" Kazuma exclaimed, wiping it off.

"Shut up," Urameshi replied, without much energy. He lethargically flicked some more bubbles in Kazuma's way, not even seeming to care when they missed. "This sucks," he grumbled.

"Who told you to go after everyone on the day you get back?" Kazuma replied without much sympathy.

"I wanna go somewhere," Urameshi continued as though he didn't hear Kazuma. By then, he stopped cleaning the dishes.

"You're stuck here, Urameshi. Just give up, and wash the damn dishes."

"You wash them," Urameshi exclaimed petulantly, pushing his pile towards Kazuma.

"Hey, stop right there. I'm not involved with this."

"Why can't this stupid war just end!?"

"What made you change your mind?" Kazuma retorted. "You didn't care about it before."

Urameshi halted in his complaint. "Well, yeah. Living seemed like such a drag before. But now I feel like I'm just wasting my life away."

"Dying really change a person, doesn't it?" Kazuma mused.

Urameshi kicked Kazuma's leg, nearly making him lose his balance. "Don't go all philosophical on me now."

Kazuma kicked Urameshi back. "You started it!"

"Stupid king and his obsession with immortality," Urameshi grumbled.

"Hey, hey. That's gonna border treason soon if you don't stop now," Kazuma warned.

"Ehendal already said Mount. Illissen doesn't have that rumored immortality fruit, but _no_, the king have to not believe them and start a war over something that might not exist."

Kazuma gave up on trying to stop Urameshi, recognizing he was in a ranting mood. "He thought they were lying," Kazuma mumbled, feeling somewhat obligated to defend their king, however wrong Kazuma himself think the king was.

"Then why can't he just go confirm it himself?"

Kazuma shrugged helplessly. "Doubt the king is going to leave for a foreign country like Ehendal for a reason like that."

"Then he shouldn't start a war over it!" Urameshi exclaimed. Kazuma remained silent, deciding the best course of action was to not reply and let Urameshi rant all he want. He felt as though he was adding oil to fire before, when he was talking back. When no other words came forth, Kazuma looked up from the plate, and felt like inching back a step.

"Hey, Urameshi," Kazuma ventured. "You have that look on your face again." No reply. "Just saying, don't drag me into your stupid ideas again."

"This is perfect!" Urameshi shouted, suddenly shooting up from his seat. Urameshi whirled around to face Kazuma with an excited look on his face. "We'll just have to go to Mount. Illissen and see if there is a fruit that can immortalize someone."

Kazuma slowly stood, hands held out in front of him. "Oi, oi, Urameshi. Chill. First of all, we can't go to Mount. Illissen. For fuck's sake, it's in Ehendal, and hello? We're having a war with Ehendal right now."

Urameshi waved it off. "We'll just have to sneak through."

Kazuma could feel a margine coming and wondered why Urameshi sometimes think even less than him. "Even if we can, we have no idea which fruit causes immortality. What are we gonna do, eat all of them and test them out?"

"That's just plain stupid, Kuwabara," Urameshi said. "Don't worry about the fruit. We'll know when we see it, 'cos it causes immortality and all."

"And if we don't?" Kazuma asked, trying to point out as many flaws in the plan as possible.

"Then there's no such thing as an immortality fruit and we'll report that."

"We can't leave the camp without permission," Kuwabara tried from another angle.

"How did you think I leave before?" Urameshi pointed out, that stupid grin on his face.

"The _god of life_ brought you out. You just don't go against the gods." Urameshi gave Kazuma a pointed look. "You're not getting the god into this scheme," Kazuma stated.

"Nah. I'm kinda arguing with Kurama now and he should concentrate on making up with Hiei anyway." His speech faltered for a second, but before Kazuma could comment on it, Urameshi continued, a gleaming look on his face. "I'm saying the people just have to _think _I'm back with 'em."

"But you're back already."

"Just BS something like my wound opened again, or..." Urameshi wiggle his eyebrows at Kazuma. "Tell them Kurama misses me soooo much..."

Kazuma shivered. "Stop being creepy, Urameshi."

Urameshi shrugged. "They were the one who thought something was between us first."

"So... Nothing is really between you two?" Kazuma questioned, slightly curious. He wondered, why would Kurama rescue a complete mortal stranger then?

Urameshi looked at him. "Since when are you such a gossiper?" he asked, shaking his head. "But no, nothing is between us... Kurama and Hiei have each other, remember?"

Kazuma thought there was something else behind that statement as well. Just a feeling. "I thought them together was just a rumor."

Urameshi's eyes have a faraway look in them. "It's true," he said quietly, almost like to himself.

"Ya know, Urameshi, I wouldn't, I mean, I would but," Kazuma attempted, trying to find the right words.

"Spit it out, Kuwabara."

"Erm... It'll be kinda weird for me, but we'll still be bros and all if you just happen to be... homo."

Urameshi blinked at Kazuma for a moment, like he didn't know what to say, before a small smile appeared on his face. "That's what got your panties in a knot?" he asked with a brief laugh. Kazuma was about to reply, but Urameshi continued talking. "I dunno what I _am_. I mean, I never really thought about it before, didn't think I'll live that far to have any romance. Didn't find anyone I liked either, unlike you."

Kazuma knew he had that silly grin on his face, but couldn't quite manage to wipe it off. "Yukina..."

"Yes, yes, your dear Yukina. Why don't we finish washing the dishes and go see her?"

"YOU still have a lot to go," Kazuma observed. "Don't dare try to push them on to me."

"Aw, come on. I'm still injured," and while that statement was too exaggerated to be true, Urameshi did look very tired.

Kazuma heaved a sighed. "You owe me one," he declared, rolling up his sleeves.

Urameshi grinned and Kazuma felt like everything was alright then. When he saw Yukina later on, he brushed aside that small nagging feeling in the back of his mind, deciding to examine it later. The next morning, Urameshi was gone.

_Bros before hos, __but I can't face Yukina when I get back if something happens and you go. __Ha, that rhymed. __Owe you nothing now. _


End file.
